Dental Emergencies: What you can do until you see the dentist

One of the most frustrating things that can come up in daily life is a dental emergency. Whether its a broken tooth, or a crown that's come off, or tooth pain, these problems can be especially frustrating because we feel we have no control over them until we can get in the dental chair. Emergencies can result in pain and lost sleep, missed work, and higher expenses. I'm going to give you a few tips on how you can handle dental emergencies until you can get in to see your dentist.

Tooth gets knocked out or moved

This problem is often associated with falls and accidents. If the whole tooth gets knocked out, rinse it off with water and try to put it back in place. This differs from the old 'put it in a glass of milk and head to your dentist'. The reason is your tooth is alive and keeping it alive depends on getting it back in place quickly. By the time most people get in to have the dentist put the tooth back, it's often too late. Don't scrub the tooth or wash it with soap as that will likely kill it.

If you can't put it back or the tooth won't stay in, put the tooth in a cup and submerge it in spit. Then head to your dentist ASAP. Any tooth outside the mouth for over an hour is likely a goner. If a baby tooth gets knocked out, don't worry about getting it back in place but still still bring your child to the dentist. If the tooth has just moved and not fully come out, try to position it back in place, but don't force it. Still head to your dentist ASAP.

Tooth Pain/broken tooth

If you're eating and a tooth breaks, the exposed part will often be painful to food and drink. The most readily available solution is to fill the hole either with wax or temporary filling material that's sold in most drug stores. Stick to soft room temperature foods (e.g. mashed potatoes, bananas, and oatmeal) until you can get the tooth evaluated. If

you have throbbing pain, take a dose of ibuprofen with a dose of regular tylenol (unless you have a health issue that prevents you from doing that, then take whatever is recommended for pain by your doctor). The reason behind taking both is that the medications work together to bring pain relief as strong as Vicodin without the addictive side effects.

Crown comes off

If a dental crown or bridge comes off, look inside of it. A dislodged crown will be hollow on the inside. If the inside is filled and there's no tooth in your mouth, that means

This crown still has the tooth on the inside

the underlying tooth broke so don't try to put the crown back in; it won't stay. If the crown is hollow and needs to be replaced immediately, (e.g. its a front tooth or the underlying tooth is sensitive) first place it back on the tooth to make sure it doesn't feel high when you bite. If that goes well, then place a tiny dab of denture paste like Fixodent or Polygrip on the inside and replace the crown with firm but not forceful pressure. Hold in place for 20 sec and avoid chewing on it afterwards. If the tooth is not sensitive or readily visible, I recommend keeping the crown off and until you see your dentist (make sure you bring the crown with you!).

Broken denture or partial

Leave it out and don't try to fix it. Dentures have an incredibly intimate fit and if your repair is slightly off, your denture will likely be ruined and unwearable. Don't take a short cut on this one, wait until you can see your dentist.

Dental emergencies can be scary and frustrating. In every case, seeing your dentist as soon as possible is recommended but hopefully these tips can help you manage them in the meantime.

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