Things happen. It’s part of life. But what do you do when, say, you injure a tooth? Many of us have a tendency to ignore dental emergencies for various reasons—maybe we have no time, maybe we don’t take it seriously, or maybe we don’t have the money to treat it. Dental problems, however, are just as important as health problems. In fact, studies show that the two are linked. Here’s a few examples of dental emergencies and how to handle them.
 
For a loose bracket on a set of braces, use the orthodontic wax that the dentist gave you to reattach the brace temporarily. You can also put a piece of the wax over the braces to cushion. If the wire on the braces breaks or is pushed into a position that is poking into you, use the eraser end (not the point!) of a pencil to push it into place, or at least to a more comfortable position. If you can’t move the wire, cover it with orthodontic wax, a small cotton ball, or gauze and call your dentist immediately. Fight the urge to cut the wire, because you might accidentally swallow it or breathe it into your lungs.
 
If your crown falls off, make an emergency dental appointment and bring the crown with you. If your tooth is hurting, get clove oil (found at your local pharmacy) and apply it with a cotton swab to your tooth. Use dental cement or adhesive (or toothpaste, if you must) to keep the crown in place. Avoid super glue; it may cause more damage.
 
If you discover an infection, commonly known as an abscess, in your mouth, be very careful. If incorrectly treated, abscesses can cause a great deal of damage to your mouth and to your general health. This can happen when the infection spreads elsewhere. Abscesses often look like pimples—they’re swollen, filled with pus, and sensitive to the touch. To lessen the pain and help promote healing, rinse your mouth with hydrogen peroxide or salt water (1/2 tsp of salt to 1 cup of water) three times a day, minimum. Do NOT attempt to drain the infection yourself! Leave that to a dentist. We are your Sherwood Park Dentist.
 
If you sustain a cut in your mouth, for instance to your tongue, cheeks, gums or lips, you can usually treat the bleeding yourself. Rinse with salt water (recipe above). Try to get an ice pack on the outside of the mouth or cheek on the injured area. Moisten a piece of gauze, a paper towel, or a tea bag (this works the best) and put pressure on the wound. After a maximum of 10 minutes, remove the ice pack, but keep the pressure on the injury for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the bleeding stops. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, get an emergency appointment with your dentist or go to an emergency room for help.
 
Dental emergencies will happen, regardless of how careful we are. The important thing to remember is what to do when they occur. With quick thinking and preparation, you can save your teeth and preserve your health for years to come.

Dental emergencies can cause panic anxiety, and one can become clueless and go blank when in pain or on seeing their loved one bleeding. In such instances, it is better that you know it all about dental emergencies now and be ready; so, if unfortunately you or your loved one ever has face to a dental emergency, be it toothache or broken or chipped teeth or any other condition, you know what needs to be done.
Here we are answering some frequently asked questions about dental emergencies.

• What happens when you will call Edmonton emergency dentist?

When you will call the emergency number, you will be asked a number of questions about the serious of your illness, pain or injury. This is termed as Triage. You can call on 24x7 online booking numbers to fix an appointment. Triaging allows dentists to know that which dental emergencies need more urgent treatment than others. Senior clinic staff and experienced staff are responsible for triaging patients. If your condition needs immediate care, you will be given the most quick and instant appointment. Patients with less severe problems may be given an appointment for next day.

• What happens when I will visit the hospital?

When you will show up at the clinic, you will be asked a number of questions about your condition (if you are directly visiting the hospital without making an appointment). Usually, dentists triage the patients on call only, but in case you got injured near the clinic or the condition is really severe then dentist will be first asking you a few questions. This helps them decide that what treatment can give you immediate and best relief.

• What should I expect during my appointment?

During emergency appointments, the dentist will aim to decrease or stop the pain you are experiencing. Only the most serious problem like broken tooth, chipped tooth, severe tooth pain, broken dentures etc. will be treated in emergency appointment.

• How much will emergency treatment cost?

The cost of treatment depends on your condition. The primary purpose of Edmonton emergency dentist is to provide effective treatment and quality care to patients. So, the treatments are very reasonably priced and pocket friendly and most importantly you can be rest assured about fast relief.

• What all conditions can be a dental emergency?

It usually depends on the patient that in what condition he wants the immediate treatment and relief. However, some of the common dental emergencies are: toothache, chipped or broken teeth, broken crowns, broken veneers or bridge, tooth abscess, loose teeth or crowns, loose implant crowns, root canal treatments, broken orthodontic braces, broken dentures, tooth extractions including wisdom tooth extractions and gum infections.

Injury to the tongue, lips and the inside of the mouth is very common. The exposed location and soft flesh of the lips make them susceptible to injury. A blow to the face can cause your teeth to crush against your lips, causing cuts or bruising. Your teeth can puncture the inside of your skin or cut your lips. A blow or fall may cause you to bite your tongue. Any cut inside the mouth generally bleeds severely because of the huge supply of blood to the area.



Symptoms:

Symptoms include:

• Cuts on the tongue or lips
• Bleeding
• Swelling
• Bruising

Diagnosis:

Your physician or dentist will ask that how you got injured and do a careful physical exam of the injured area. If the lips are hurt, he or she will check the teeth and bone for injury and look for pieces of damaged tooth.

Expected duration:

The healing time for a tongue injury or lip injury will depend on how severely it is cut. However, there are many blood vessels in the mouth, which assists in quick healing.

Prevention:

Many tongue and lip injuries happen during sports or other such activities. But, you can prevent this type of injuries by using a safety mouth guard. Mouth guards are made of soft plastic that is designed to fit the shape of the upper teeth. Guards made for heavier contact sports cover both the lower and upper teeth. Mouth guards protect both the teeth and lips by providing a shield to the front teeth. You can get a customized mouth guard from your dentist.

Regularly using seat belts can decrease the risk of injury as a result of car accidents.

Treatment:

You can clean wounded skin surfaces with mild water and soft clean cloth. In case of cuts inside the mouth rinse with hydrogen peroxide solution or salt water. Make sure you don’t swallow this peroxide rinse. However, don’t get worried if it foams.

If your lip is bruised or swollen, apply a cold compress. In case of bleeding, take a clean soft cloth and apply pressure on the injured area for at least 5 minutes. Using ice can assist limit bleeding, swelling and discomfort. Crush the ice and wrap it in the clean piece of cloth or gauze and keep it on the affected area.

Some injuries will need treatment by the best dentist. It is very important to have an experienced dentist stitch cuts that cross the vermilion border. It is the line that creates the junction between the flesh part and skin of the lip. Experience is important to ensure this border heals correctly. Even a slight change will be clearly visible.

Rush to Edmonton Emergency Dental Clinic if:

Bleeding can’t be controlled with a cold compress or pressure

The lip is punctured

You have a deep cut

Fever

Drainage of pus

Tenderness

Swelling

Redness