Dental emergencies may be few and far between, but they are inevitable. This is especially so if you have a child in the house or if you are active in sports. Head accidents can leave you with something as minor as a bleeding lip to a something as bad as a knocked out tooth. So when these emergencies happen, Kim Norman, DDS Dentistry for the Individual in Maryville, TN wants to know- do you know what to do?
Knocked Out Teeth
If your problem is that you have a tooth which has been knocked out of its socket, the good news is that the tooth can still be reattached. However, the bad news is that your chances of having a successful reattachment dwindles with each succeeding hour that you fail to make it to Kim Norman, DDS Dentistry for the Individual in Maryville, TN. So what should you do if your tooth gets knocked out?
First off, handle the tooth by the crown and not by its root. Never touch the root since you might damage crucial tissues. You can then clean the tooth by running tap water over it gently. However, never scrub the tooth or use any chemical to clean it off. Water will be just fine. You can place a washcloth over the drain to make sure that the tooth to prevent any accidents.
Transporting the tooth to Kim Norman, DDS Dentistry for the Individual in Maryville, TN is another thing. You can place the tooth back into its socket and try to bite into it all the way to the clinic in Maryville, TN to keep it from falling off. However, this tactic is not recommended for little children and elderly individuals since they might swallow the tooth instead. So what you can do is to transport the tooth in milk. Doing so will keep tissues from dying and keep your tooth viable for reinsertion.
Chipped or Cracked Teeth
As long as the incident does not leave you with a nagging toothache, then chips and cracks aren’t exactly classified as emergencies. However, it’s possible for the incident to cause trauma in the form of bleeding or swelling. You can keep the swelling to a minimum by applying a cold compress to the area. Pain relievers may also be taken in order to minimize the pain. Make sure to swallow the aspirin and not place it in the area next to the teeth since this can burn the gums. Schedule an appointment with Kim Norman, DDS Dentistry for the Individual in Maryville, TN promptly.
Emergency Dental Care Maryville, TN
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