Do you know who to call in a dental emergency? More people than ever are heading to the emergency room — when often, their issues could have been easily resolved in the dentist’s chair. Your dentist in Bergenfield provides emergency dentistry for patients when they need it most. Call us and our experienced staff will also give over-the-phone advice for what to do until you can reach our office. A few tips are listed below.
What to Do After Common Dental Emergencies
The most frequent urgent situations we treat include teeth that are knocked out, dislodged, or broken. Toothaches and broken dental hardware are also common dental emergencies.
Find the Knocked Out Tooth
If you or a loved one have lost a tooth, collect it and rinse away any debris under warm water. Do not scrub the tooth or touch its root, as doing so will damage its chance of successful reattachment. Act fast — teeth that have been out of their socket for longer than two hours cannot be replaced. Store the tooth in its empty socket or in the cheek until you can reach your dentist’s office. If neither of these options are possible, a cup of milk or water will suffice for keeping the root moist and healthy.
If the tooth has been dislodged but remains in the gum, gently try to work it back into its proper place. Do not force the tooth. Contact your dentist immediately.
Gently Replace Missing Parts
If you have lost a crown, filling, bridge, or any other piece of dental work, see if you can put it back in its place with toothpaste or a denture adhesive. Doing so can prevent further breakage and injury to your soft tissues until you are able to reach your dentist’s office.
Manage the Pain
You will likely experience moderate to severe discomfort as a result of your dental emergency. Stabilize the situation and reduce pain by taking an over-the-counter medication like Aleve or Tylenol, which won’t thin the blood. Take pain medication as directed and visit your dentist as soon as possible. We can prescribe something stronger as needed for severe pain.
Stop the Bleeding
Severe bleeding that lasts for longer than 10 minutes requires emergency medical attention. Stop the blood flow by applying firm, consistent pressure to the wound with a clean cloth or gauze. Use a new, clean cloth with each application to slow drainage or bleeding.
Reduce Swelling
Swelling occurs when your body increases blood flow to heal an area after injury. Reduce the inflammation by applying an ice pack to the affected cheek in 10-minute intervals. Wrap the ice pack in a cloth to protect sensitive facial skin. Hold the pack of ice (frozen peas work well, too) to the cheek for 10 minutes, then remove it for 10 minutes. Repeat periodically for the first 36 hours following injury.
Keep Calm and Call Us Immediately!
The two most important things to remember following any emergency are to keep your cool and seek help immediately. Your emergency dentist in Bergenfield is ready to help! Contact us as soon as you’ve stabilized the situation, and we’ll provide the help you need ASAP.