Although we cannot know exactly when dental emergencies will pop up (that’s simply the nature of an emergency!), we can take the time now to make a plan for what we will do when dental trauma does occur. Having this information/plan handy can help to alleviate stress when dental problems do occur. Our West Bloomfield emergency dentists have some simple tips on what to do when disaster strikes.
The first thing to do is to figure out who you will call in case of a dental emergency. Make sure that your dentist provides emergency treatment; and if they don’t, do they have a recommendation on to whom you should reach out? Is there a particular phone number of e-mail address that you should use to reach your dentist immediately? Gather all of this information, and then write it down in a convenient location, so that you can find it in a dental emergency. This may mean putting it up on your fridge, or creating a note in your phone—think about where you’d be likely to look in times of stress.
Keep in mind that, generally speaking, you want to preserve as much of your natural dental material as possible after dental trauma. If, for example, you have a tooth knocked out, you should try not to disrupt the nerves and tissues that are attached to the tooth, or around the hole in your gum tissue. If possible, you want to gently re-insert the tooth into its place in the gum tissue. If this is painful or impossible, keep your tooth in a glass of milk to maintain its viability until you can see your dentist.
You also want to be careful to protect your damaged oral tissues from foreign substances, even those that may initially seem beneficial. Do not, for example, place aspirin or pain killers directly on your oral tissues, as this can cause inadvertent damage. Rather, use ice on the outside of your cheek to numb damaged areas, and take pain medications orally, and as directed.
Our West Bloomfield emergency dentists are here to help you when dental problems pop up unexpectedly. Please give our team a call to learn more!