Our O’Fallon Dentist Helps You Take Control In A Dental Emergency

Our O’Fallon Dentist Helps You Take Control In A Dental Emergency

Our O’Fallon dentists want to make sure that all of our patients know exactly what to do when dental emergencies emerge. Dental emergencies can be emotional and overwhelming, so it is very important that you have a plan in place before these events occur.

Here are some basic tips and recommendations to help you take control after dental trauma:

1. Make a plan now

Take the time now, before you have a dental issue, to figure out what dental office you will call in an emergency. Make sure that you have this office’s contact info handy—on your fridge, or programmed into your phone—so that you don’t have to scramble to find it later.

2. Know how to keep a tooth viable

One of the dental emergencies that we commonly see is a knocked out tooth. If this happens to you, there are a few things that you can do to try and keep the tooth viable until you get to the dentist’s office. First of all, if the tooth fits back into the hole in your gum tissue, gently place the tooth in this spot, and hold it in your mouth until you see your dentist. If it hurts to place the tooth back in your smile, or if the tooth is not easily reinserted, place the tooth in milk (you can even hold the tooth with milk in your cheek until you see your dentist). It is also important that you retain as much of the dental tissue/tooth root structure on the tooth as possible.

3. Use the right pain management tools

If you are dealing with dental trauma, you do not want to directly expose your damaged oral tissues to numbing agents/aspirin/etc. The best bet is to use an icy compress on the outside of your cheek to numb the affected area until you see a dentist.

Our O’Fallon dentists are happy to give you any more information that you may need regarding dental emergencies, and dental care in general. Please give our team a call to get started!