Do You Know How to Handle a Dental Emergency?

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Do you work hard to keep your pearly whites healthy and strong? Do you brush, floss, and visit your dentist frequently for routine cleanings? If you do, we hope you enjoy a healthy, strong smile—and you probably will. But regardless of how well you care for your smile, emergencies can happen. For example, you could be hit in the teeth and lose a tooth. You could bite into something and have your tooth crack. Do you know how to react to this type of emergency?

At McKinnon Dental, we understand that a dental emergency can be stressful. To help you react calmly if an emergency should strike, we’re happy to discuss how you should respond to unexpected complications.

A few common dental emergencies come from trauma. For instance, if you fall or are hit, your tooth could be knocked loose or dislodged. If this happens, please visit our dentist immediately. In fact, we recommend visiting Dr. McKinnon within 30 minutes if possible. Try to bring the tooth with you, but please don’t handle it by the root. Also, we recommend placing the tooth in milk or keeping it moist with saliva.

Similarly, if you crack or fracture your tooth, you should save whatever pieces you can and visit our dentist quickly. Sometimes, our dentist will be able to rebuild your tooth, but other circumstances may require a crown. Regardless, you should visit our dentist as soon as possible. Conversely, chipping your tooth isn’t typically considered an emergency, but we still recommend visiting us as soon as possible.

Other circumstances may require dental attention soon, but not immediately. For example, a toothache, lost crown or filling, or damaged braces don’t require immediate care, but should be taken care of soon. If you are interested in learning more please feel free to give us a call at 920-739-1181.