EMERGENCY CONCERNS

Please call us if you have any other concerns or questions...We would be happy to help.

Knocked-Out Tooth: It's important to retrieve the tooth, hold

it by the crown, and rinse off the root of the tooth if it's dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible, put the tooth back in its socket. If that isn't possible, put it in a container with milk or water and then get to the dentist as soon as possible.

Broken Tooth: Rinse your mouth with warm water to keep the area clean. Use cold compresses on the area to keep the swelling down and get to your dentist's office quickly.

Bitten Tongue or Lip: Clean the area gently with a cloth and then apply cold compresses to reduce the swelling. If the

bleeding doesn't stop, go to a hospital emergency room immediately.

Objects Caught Between the Teeth: Try to gently remove the object with dental floss and avoid cutting the gums. Do not

use a sharp instrument. If you're not successful in removing the

object, go to the dentist.

Toothache: Rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out. Make sure food or foreign objects aren't lodged around the tooth by using dental floss. Don't ever put aspirin or any painkiller on the gums or around the aching tooth. It can cause a burn on the mouth and do more harm than good. A toothache could be due to an infection and could potentially be life threatening. The longer you put off a toothache the more costly and time consuming it can be to fix the tooth so get to a dentist as soon as possible. If you have severe swelling go to a hospital emergency room as soon as possible.

Knowing how to handle a dental emergency can mean the difference between saving or losing a tooth. Time is important in saving teeth. If your tooth or your child's tooth has been fractured, or especially if the tooth has been knocked out, you need to get to a dental office or emergency room as quickly as possible.