Tooth Troubles: What You Can Do during a Dental Emergency

Image by abby chicken photography via Flicker

Image by abby chicken photography via Flicker

Dental emergencies can happen to anyone and sometimes even strike out of the blue. When they hit all hell strikes loose in the mouth and you want to find the quickest, easiest, and most cost-effective solution to get the pain relieved. As a mom, it would be difficult to see anyone in your family suffering from such pain especially little kids. When you are stuck in a quandary about where to go for pain relief, reading this article will give you some clarity on what actions to take.

What’s reassuring to know is that we all have to deal with dental emergencies at some point in our lives. When it happens to your kids, there are times that it will be difficult to bring them to a dentist. The worst thing you can do, however, is leave the problem for months until you have no choice but to do something drastic. Sorting out the problem when it is new will save you lots of money, pain, and potentially – teeth! The last thing you want to do is risk causing permanent damage.

Depending on the issue at hand, there are a number of things you can do to make the problem better and alleviate the pain whilst seeking urgent medical advice. If you feel something isn’t right and want to locate a Sydney dentist fast, doing some research before the time of the emergency is a great idea. Make sure you have a list of go-to dentists and their contact details. Ensure they are open after hours too as you never know when an emergency might strike.

So here are some problems you might encounter and advice on how you can deal with the dental emergency:

  • Toothache – this is one of the most common issues. It’s the level of pain that can vary from a simple toothache to one that needs urgent treatment. Depending on the pain, you might be able to deal with it yourself by rinsing the mouth with warm water. One can also floss to make sure no debris is stuck between their teeth. However, if a swelling occurs there might be something else going on. At first, you can put a pack of ice or frozen peas on the cheek to relieve the pain and bring down the swelling. After doing so, get in touch with a dentist and have it checked as soon as possible. 
  • Chipped teeth – this may not be so painful after it happens; however, it can be highly worrying. The smile is one of the first thing people notice and having a broken tooth may make anyone very anxious. If the gums are bleeding, apply some gauze and compress until the bleeding stops. 
  • Missing fillings – when one bites down onto something hard such as a pip or a bone, especially with the more delicate white fillings, they can occasionally hear the dreaded crack. One will shudder at the sound and realise one of their fillings has shattered. If this is the case, you need not worry, simply call a dentist and as a temporary measure, get some dental cement at a local dentist or pharmacy. You can also try using sugar-free chewing gum which won’t aggravate the hole and help cover the cavity until you can get an appointment. 
  • Broken braces – For those who have been through their brace days, you could have experienced one of the wires broke and scraped the side of the gum. If this happens to anyone in the family, try pushing the wire back with a pencil so that it doesn’t cause them pain. You can also check in the brace kit for any wax that was given for when the braces rub. It’s important to then locate the nearest dentist that deals with braces so they can be fixed immediately.

Within this article, we have just pinpointed a few of the things that could go wrong inside the mouth. You might be in a state of panic when something out of the ordinary occurs, especially for moms like us, but it’s important to follow the steps outlined that you can do yourself and always contact a dentist immediately after the issue occurs. Leaving the problem or pain might be a tempting thing to do especially if you or anyone in the family dread going to the dentist. But remember, it can cause more pain and money in the long-run so it’s best to get it out of the way and find a solution instantly.

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