September 10, 2017
We don’t always think of our teeth as being fragile. We do activities that could easily crack a tooth or knock a tooth clean out of our mouths, and it doesn’t bother most of us. Watch a baseball game some time: how rare is it to see a player using a mouth guard? Baseball players are catching or hitting a rock-hard object being tossed at their heads, and they’re doing it without a single thought to the damage the ball could do to their teeth. But, dental accidents happen. And here are a few common dental emergencies to be aware of.
A Lost or Cracked Tooth
What happens if a tooth gets knocked out of your mouth? Out of your child’s mouth? (Tooth injuries are common in children). First, you need to make the tooth moist or wet. You don’t want the tooth to dry out. If you can, try and put the tooth back into place, loosely and without touching the root. This may sound ridiculous, but oftentimes the gum pocket that’s just released the tooth will still hold it in place. If that’s not an option—most times with children this is not an option—put the tooth between your cheek and gum, or, if it’s a child, put the tooth into a glass of milk. And, as soon as the tooth is secure, call your dentist.
A cracked tooth can hurt. You will want to clean the area by swishing it out with clean water. Areas of the face near the crack may begin to swell, and you will want to use cold compresses.
The Unforeseen
It’s possible to get things caught in the mouth. Parents might find their child has lodged something between his or her tooth and gum; food debris like the chaff from a popcorn kernel may get lodged down in the gum line. Use floss to remove the debris. If you can’t remove it with floss, do not try and use something sharp, or something pointed—never try to tweezer objects buried between two teeth free.
If you are experiencing any symptoms like the ones mentioned, or, if you just need to get in to see Dr. Bagby for your routine checkup, make sure to call today.