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What to Do in Case of a Dental Emergency
At WGM Orthodontics, we place an emphasis on providing safe and compassionate orthodontic care for all our patients. While it’s our hope that none of our patients will suffer from any kind of oral, dental, or orthodontic emergencies, we understand that sometimes these things happen. In case any of these emergencies occur to you, we want you to know that well be here to help you however we can. In fact, we’d like to provide you with some guidance on what to do in case you find yourself with any of these more common dental emergencies.
Toothache
You’ll first want to rinse your mouth with warm water to clean around your sore tooth. Also, you should use floss around the toothache to make sure that you don’t have any food that’s trapped. If your mouth becomes swollen, you should apply a cold compress to your mouth. You shouldn’t ever use aspirin for your toothache because it can burn your gum tissue. If the toothache subsists, give your dentist a call.
Broken Tooth
First, save any broken tooth fragments you can find. Make sure to rinse your mouth using warm water and rinse any pieces of your tooth as well. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the affected area to keep the swelling down and relieve pain. You should see your dentist as soon as possible.
Knocked-Out Tooth
First, get the tooth, making sure to handle it by the crown (not the root). Rinse off the root of the tooth with water to make sure it’s clean; don’t try to remove any attached tissue fragments though. If you can, try to put the tooth back in place, but don’t force it in. If it can’t be reinserted, place the tooth in a cup of milk (or water if milk isn’t available). Go see your dentist immediately. Knocked-out teeth have a much higher chance of being returned to their socket if they’re treated within an hour.
Broken Braces
If a part of your braces breaks, only remove it if it will come out easily. If it’s either stuck or painful to remove, just cover any irritating edges with wax, cotton balls, or gauze. While emergency attention isn’t generally needed in this situation, you should still see an orthodontist as soon as you can.
Contact Your Kentucky Orthodontist
If you’re suffering from an emergency that’s not on the list and you’re not sure what to do – call anyway! We at WGM Orthodontics are glad to help you in any kind of emergency or potential emergency. While we hope that you won’t incur any of these problems, we’ll be here for you if it happens!