When you have cracked or chipped a tooth, even if the injury is minor, this could lead to serious complications for your smile. To avoid painful toothaches and infection, you need to take immediate action and let us know! In today’s blog, your Prairie Village, KS, dentist talks about dental emergency care.
The Dangers of a Damaged Tooth
When a tooth is damaged, even if the injury appears minor, this could expose the sensitive inner structures to harmful oral bacteria, which increase the risk of painful cavities and infection. Not only do these cause toothaches and sensitivity, but this could increase the risk of tooth loss without care. When a tooth is injured, even if damage isn’t visible, please give us a call to let us know. After all, most fractures will be nearly invisible to the naked eye. Even outside of normal business hours, we will arrange a time to see you and address your emergency situation quickly.
Easing Discomfort
In the immediate aftermath of a damaged tooth, you can take action to ease your discomfort. First, try to recover any pieces of the tooth and bring them with you. If this is impossible, then don’t worry, we can still repair the tooth. Next, rinse with warm water and then use cloth or gauze to stem any bleeding. You can use a cold compress or ice pack against the side of the face to prevent swelling. Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever is also beneficial to ease discomfort until we can repair your tooth. Try to avoid eating and drinking until we can see you, especially items high in sugar, as your teeth will be vulnerable and sensitive.
Treatment Options
Our team will take a close look at your smile and discuss possible solutions. For some, we could use dental bonding to repair the damage in only one visit, employing the same composite resin we use in our tooth-colored dental fillings. The material will be shaded to blend with your tooth. For more severe damage, we could create and place a dental crown, again custom-made to fit comfortably and also offer a lifelike appearance that blends with your smile.
Wear a Mouthguard!
If you play full contact sports or martial arts, we recommend wearing a custom-made mouthguard. We can help create one, so you have quality protection against injury or knocked out teeth. If you have any questions about tackling cosmetic issues, then contact our team today to learn more.
TALK TO YOUR PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS DENTIST ABOUT REPAIRING SMILES
Our team wants to help you avoid the dangers of a damaged tooth. If you would like to find out more about our emergency dental services, reach out to our Prairie Village, KS dentist’s office at 913-901-8585.