Every knows who to call if you break a leg. You call 911, and let the professionals hand things. But what do you do when your break a tooth? Dental emergencies can be extremely painful, and even frightening. You may feel overwhelmed because you may not know exactly what to do.
At Eugene Family Dental in Eugene, OR, we want to be the professionals you call on in case of a dental emergency. If you’re having a dental emergency right now, we suggest you stop what you’re doing and call us right now. We can be reached at 458-205-5189.
We are able to offer same-day care and appointments for dental emergencies. Even if you’re emergency happens outside of our business hours, please give us a call anyway. Our answering service will provide you with an after-hours number which you reach Dr. Ben with.
We’re happy to take care of you. But there are a few things you should know about handling a dental emergency; including a few steps you may want to take after you have called our office.
In today’s blog post, we’re going to give you soon potentially teeth-saving advice.
If you’ve lost a tooth, don’t panic. There is a possibility that we may be able to save the tooth. So remain calm and follow these directions.
First, be sure and handle the tooth only by the crown (upper portion). That will help keep bacteria from damaging the roots. Also be sure and leave any tissue on the tooth in place; you may want to rinse the tooth off in cold water to rinse off any dirt but be sure and keep the tissue in place. Then store the tooth in milk or a container of Save-a-Tooth; these substances will help keep the tooth from dying.
If your tooth is fractured or broken, you may be experiencing a tremendous amount of shooting pain. You can take an over-the-counter pain reliever for this pain; however, be sure and avoid aspirin as it will only encourage bleeding.
Try to recover any broken parts of the tooth. Place this pieces in a cup, and bring them with you to the office. If your broken or fractured tooth is sharp, it may cut your cheeks. You can use wax or gauze to prevent this.
If your mouth is swollen, or you’re suffering from a severe toothache, use a cold compress to reduce the swelling. Take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving medicine. You may also want to try and large with some warm salt water to relieve the tension.
If you’ve lost a filling, do not worry about saving the filling. Generally, they cannot be reused. Also, do not panic if you swallowed the filling. It will pass through your stool without incident. You chew a small piece of sugar-free gum and place it into the cavity to reduce pain until you can get to our office.
No matter what kind of emergency you’re having, we can get you in quickly and relieve your pain! Call us at 458-205-5189; at Eugene Family Dental, we’re proud to serve the residents of Eugene, OR.
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