Dental Articles - Waterdown

Dental Emergency, What to Do in the First Hour

Some dental problems can wait for a routine appointment. A few cannot, and in one case the first thirty minutes decide the outcome. This is what to do while you are getting to us, and what to avoid.

A knocked out adult tooth

This is the genuine emergency, and it is the one where what you do in the first half hour matters more than anything we do afterwards.

Pick the tooth up by the crown, the part that is normally visible. Do not touch the root. The root surface carries living cells that make reattachment possible, and handling or scrubbing destroys them.

If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline. Not water, and never scrub it. Then, if you can, put it back in the socket the right way round and hold it there by biting gently on a clean cloth. A tooth in its socket has the best chance there is.

If you cannot reinsert it, keep it in milk. Milk is close enough to the body in salt content and acidity to keep the root cells alive far longer than water, which kills them quickly. Saliva is second best, so holding it inside the cheek works for an adult who is fully alert. Then call us immediately.

Do not attempt this with a baby tooth. Reimplanting one can damage the developing adult tooth underneath.

Swelling

Facial swelling means infection has spread beyond the tooth, and it is the symptom to take most seriously. Call the same day.

Go to an emergency department rather than a dental practice if the swelling is closing your eye, spreading down the neck, or if you have difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing or a fever with feeling generally unwell. Those signs indicate an infection that needs hospital management.

One thing worth knowing: if the pain from an abscessed tooth suddenly stops on its own, that is not recovery. It usually means the nerve has died. The infection is still there and still spreading. Book anyway.

Severe toothache

Take over the counter pain relief at the normal dose. Ibuprofen tends to work better than paracetamol for dental pain because most of it is inflammatory, and where it is safe for you the two can be alternated.

Do not hold an aspirin against the gum. It is an acid and it burns the tissue, leaving a chemical ulcer on top of the original problem. Sleeping propped up rather than flat often reduces throbbing, because lying down increases pressure in the pulp.

Cracked or broken tooth

Rinse with warm water, apply a cold compress to the outside of the face for swelling, and keep any pieces. Avoid chewing on that side. A crack that does not hurt still needs looking at, because a fracture that reaches the pulp becomes a root canal if left, and a fracture running below the gumline can make the tooth unsavable.

Lost filling or crown

Uncomfortable rather than urgent, but book promptly. The exposed tooth is soft and can break further. Keep a crown if it comes off cleanly, as it can often be recemented. Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy is a reasonable stopgap for a few days. Household glue is not, and it usually means the tooth cannot be saved conventionally afterwards.

What to do now

Call 289-408-5100 as early in the day as you can and describe what has happened, because that determines how urgently you are seen. We hold time for urgent problems and will make every effort to see you the same day. More detail is on our emergency dental care page.

Panacea Dental is at 105 Clappison Ave #103 in Waterdown, open Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. We are accepting new patients. Call 289-408-5100 or book online.

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