 Dental
Emergencies
By Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, MD, FAAP
Your Kid’s
Health, The
Salem News
January
19, 2004
A few weeks back we had an evening where three
kids came in with teeth knocked out –
one from a fight, one from getting hit in the
mouth by a toy, and the other from an accident
while doing yard work. None of these families
had called their dentists but luckily all knew
to put those teeth in milk.
Turns out few dental emergencies require the
ER. And, just like with medical doctors, dentists
have after-hours coverage for dentists.
With teeth time is
of the essence for a good outcome. The
Massachusetts Dental Society encourages families
to make an emergency dental care kit for home
and vacations that includes your dentist’s
phone number, saline solution, a handkerchief,
gauze, a small container with a lid, and ibuprofen
(not aspirin which can cause worsening bleeding
in dental emergencies).
Here are the most common dental emergencies.
In all cases, remember to call your dentist
for consultation or an appointment as soon
as possible. Other ways of locating a dentist
include calling the local dental society,
a local emergency room, or the US Consulate
if overseas.
- Knocked out tooth:
Re-implantation of the tooth needs to occur
within 30 minutes to have the best outcome.
Only touch the crown, not the root as you
can damage cells necessary for bone reattachment.
Gently rinse the tooth in water but do not
scrub. If possible, gently replant the tooth
back into the socket or place it in the
space between your teeth and gums to keep
the tooth moist. If those options are not
possible, wrap the tooth in a clean cloth
or gauze and immerse it in milk. It is important
not to let the tooth dry out.
- Broken tooth or
filling: Rinse your mouth with warm water
and use an ice or cold pack to reduce swelling.
Contact your dentist immediately even if
you use the temporary filling material sold
at most pharmacies – these compounds
work but can be harmful over time. If your
tooth is pushed out of position, gently
reposition the tooth back to its normal
alignment with light pressure, but do not
force it back.
- Punctured lip or
tongue: Gently clean the area with a cloth
and apply cold compresses to keep swelling
down. Pull the tongue forward and using
gauze to place pressure on the wound to
help control bleeding. If bleeding is excessive
or does not stop in a short period of time,
set up an emergency appointment with your
dentist or go to a hospital emergency department.
- Broken wires on
braces: Cover the sharp end with a small
piece of dental wax that your orthodontists
has given you or a small piece of pre-chewed
sugarless gum if you do not have the wax.
- Broken Jaw: Apply
a cold compress and go to the hospital emergency
department immediately.
- Object caught between
teeth: Gently try to remove the object with
dental floss – never sharp or pointed
objects. And call your dentist it the object
won’t come out.
- Toothache: Rinse
the mouth with warm water and clean the
tooth. Use dental floss to remove any food
that may be trapped between the teeth. Try
Tylenol or Motrin to ease the pain. Consult
your dentist before flying toothaches (what
are flying toothaches?) can get worse with
increased air pressure.
You can do a lot to
prevent many of these emergencies. Avoid chewing
ice, popcorn kernels, or hard candy which
can crack teeth or fillings. Never rip or
cut tape, sealed packages, or plastic wrapping
with your teeth. And always wear a mouth guard
when playing contact sports to avoid injury
to teeth, lips, and tongue.
Keep smiling!
© 2005 Pediatrics
Now.
All rights reserved. PEDIATRICS NOW is a trademark
of Pediatrics Now.
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