Chicago Emergency Dentist on Accident Preparedness
Dental emergencies can arise from a slew of situations. From accidents involving a fall, a car, a ball or just losing your gracefulness temporarily, our teeth can see the negative impact.
Luckily, your Chicago emergency dentist is here to help assess and treat any damage that may come as a result of these accidents or injuries.
Unfortunately, accidents and injuries don’t always happen at the most ideal of times. For that very reason, today we will be reviewing a few steps you can follow after experiencing two of the more common consequences of dental injury. By following these steps, you will improve the chances that when you make it into our office, restoration and healing of the tooth (teeth) will be more successful.
Before we start, we also wanted to note that for more severe injuries or incidents- please call 9-1-1 or seek the attention of a hospital right away.
Having a tooth knocked out or dislodged can be quite a traumatic experience. Taking action right after it occurs, however, is key. Locate the dislodged tooth and wash it off in warm water without scrubbing it. The tooth may still have some tissue on it that can be useful in the replacing of it in the mouth.
Related to replacement, if you can or are willing to- try placing the tooth back in the socket from which it came on your way to our office. It is important not to twist or force it in to cause any more damage. If you do not feel “right” about attempting this, do not fret. Place the tooth in a glass of milk until you can make it in.
When teeth become broken or fractured, many of the same steps of tooth dislodgement come into play. Locate any larger shards of the broken tooth and wash them off in warm water, without scrubbing, and place them in milk. Next, make sure to wash the mouth out with warm water to get any sharp leftover pieces out of there. Place an ice pack on the area of the mouth that received the trauma and try not to poke at the area with your tongue. The broken tooth will be very sharp, and we wouldn’t want it to cause any subsequent lacerations to your tissues.
For restoring your teeth after injury or accident, call your Chicago emergency dentist to seek treatment right away! We can be reached at (773) 643-6006.
