Oral Health Emergencies

Severe toothaches - Firstly, carefully wash your mouth with lukewarm water. Make use of dental floss to remove any stuck food. If your oral cavity is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outer surface of your mouth or cheeks. Never put aspirin or any other general anaesthetic against the gums close to the aching tooth since it might burn the gum tissue. Chipped or damaged teeth - If you can, recover any fragments of the broken tooth. Rinse both your mouth and any damaged pieces with lukewarm water. If bleeding, you should apply a clean, damp piece of gauze to the area for a minimum of ten minutes or until the flow of blood stops. Making use of ice wrapped in fabric or any cold compress to the affected area on the outer surface of the cheeks, mouth, or lips must keep the swelling down and will relieve some pain. Make sure it's facing the right way. Never force it into the socket. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, leave the tooth in a small container of milk (or cup of water that includes a pinch of salt, if milk is not available). In all cases, visit your oral health doctor as quickly as possible. Knocked out teeth with the highest likelihood of being saved are those seen by the oral health care provider and returned to their socket within one hour of being knocked out. Objects jammed between your teeth - Gently, try using floss to cautiously extricate the object. If you are unable to eliminate the object, see your oral health care professional. Keep in mind, never to use sharp objects like pins to poke at the wedged object as these devices can cut the tissues of the gums or mark up the surface of the tooth. Because of the serious dental and general health problems that can result from an abscess, see your oral health care professional as soon as possible if you come across a pimple-like swelling on your gum that regularly is throbbing. In the meantime, to ease the pain and draw the pus toward the surface, try rinsing your mouth with a mild salt water solution (1/2 teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of water) several times a day.