When you or a member of your family damages a tooth, then emergency dental care is crucial. Otherwise, this injury not only changes the appearance of the smile, but tooth decay or infection could develop. In today’s blog, your Prairie Village, KS, dentist takes a look at how you can respond to a common dental emergency, such as a chipped tooth.
The Risks of Untreated Damage
When a tooth is cracked or chipped, this exposes the sensitive inner structures to harmful oral bacteria, which increase the risk of tooth decay and even dental infection. Eventually, the stability of your tooth could be threatened. Which is why we recommend seeing us right away for treatment. Along with damaged teeth, other examples of dental emergencies could be objects caught between teeth that floss can’t dislodge, sudden and unexplained pains in the teeth, or damaged or missing crowns or fillings.
Easing Your Initial Discomfort
When you sustain an injury, rinse with warm water and bite down gently on a piece of cloth or gauze to stem any bleeding. You can also place a cold compress or ice pack to the side of the face to control facial swelling. You can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever. Try not to eat or drink anything until we can see you. When you call us, even outside of normal business hours, we will arrange a time to see you quickly. If you damage a tooth, try to recover any pieces and ring them with you. If you have a tooth knocked out, pick it up by the crown and never touch the root portion. Place the tooth in a sealed container of milk or salt water, and bring it with you.
Repairing Your Tooth
When you arrive, we will carefully examine your smile for any signs of trouble and then offer treatment to repair it. For minor injuries, we could use dental bonding to repair the tooth in only one visit. The bonding treatment uses the same lifelike composite resin as our tooth-colored dental fillings. For more substantial injuries, we could use a custom crown, which can address more severe cases of broken or cracked teeth. If a tooth has been knocked out completely, we can place it back into your smile. To help lower the risk of further injuries, be sure you wear a mouthguard when playing full contact sports or martial arts.
If you have any questions about emergency dental care, or if you would like to schedule a visit, then contact our team today to learn more.
SCHEDULE YOUR EMERGENCY VISIT
If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, then visit Dr. Browne’s team in Prairie Village, KS, today. You can call us at (913) 901-8585.