Taking care of dental emergencies at home

Sometimes during the phase of holidays or Sundays when tooth pain occurs or dental injuries take place, and dentists are not available, it becomes difficult to handle the dental emergencies and cannot be ignored. Ignoring the situation can lead to major problems to the teeth and the dental health and the risk of decaying increases. Hence, precaution has to be taken at home to calm the dental emergencies.

Here are some tips of what to do for some common dental emergencies at home

• Toothaches – Toothaches are commonly seen problems in everyone, but major pain may worse the situation at home. Ignoring the toothache problem may spoil the health further. Hence, precautions should be taken at home.
  Following are the tips to avoid the toothache minimally:-

1. Thoroughly rinse your mouth with lukewarm water
2. Using a floss will remove the lodged food particles that reduces the pain
3. Due to toothache, if the mouth is swollen, compress the ice gel bag to the cheeks.
4. Avoid insertion of painkiller during toothache as it can cause burn in the gums.

• Chipped or broken teeth- Broken teeth or chipped teeth can be seen in children. Here, are some precaution that when your tooth is broken:-

1. Save the piece of the broken tooth
2. Rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water
3. Rinse the broken piece too
4. In case you see bleeding after the tooth is broken, apply cotton in the affected area until the bleeding stops.
5. Apply a ice gel bag on the outside of the affected area to avoid swelling and relieve the pain.
6. If the situation is not calm, see your dentist during dental emergencies.

• Knocked-out tooth- Knocked out tooth occurs due to injuries and accidents. This tooth can be saved by placing it into the socket. Following are the tips to save the tooth:-

1. Rinse the affected area everyday with normal tap water, eliminating the dirt.
2. Do not chase the tooth by scrubbing or removing it
3. Try to place back the tooth in its position, make sure to place it in a right manner.
4. In a situation if the tooth can’t be reinserted keep the tooth in the milk container by adding salt in it.

• Extruded (partially dislodged) tooth:- It is a major problem that has to be seen by the dentist immediately. Until the dentist is not there, here are the following tips to relieve the pain.

1. Just apply or compress and put a cold bag on the cheeks of the affected area to calm the situation.
2. Take a painkiller until you see a dentist

• Objects caught between teeth:-

1. Use a floss to remove the stuck particles from the tooth. Even after using a floss thread does not work seeing a dentist is the only solution.
2. Avoid using a tooth pin or other hard object to remove the particles, using the tooth pin may affect the gums or scratch the surface of the tooth, leading to tooth damage.

• Lost filling- if the fillings is removed or is pulled out here, are some few major steps taken to fix the filling or save the tooth by using other elements that feature filling:-

1. Stick a piece of sugarless chewing gum on the cavity to avoid the pain. Avoid sugar – filled gum ass it may cause major pain and may lead to major dental emergencies.
2. Use a temporary cement on the affected area.

• Lost crown– The permanent crown that is fixed on the tooth falls down suddenly visiting a dentist is compulsory. If there is no dentist available home treatment can be done temporarily. Here, are some tips to avoid the pain:-

1. Swab a cotton on the teeth by applying a clove oil on the sensitive area.
2. Try to fix the crown back on to the tooth. It can be done by applying temporary cement, or toothpaste. It will help the crown to slip back in its position.
3. Avoid using a super glue.

• Broken braces and wires- Wearing braces is not an easy task. Appropriate care has to be taken of the braces. In case braces or their wires are broke, it indicates dental emergencies Following are the tips that can be followed temporarily at home until you see a dentist:-

1. If the wire breaks from the brackets or the bands, use an eraser end of a pencil to push the wire into a comfortable zone.
2. If the wire is still uncomfortable apply orthodontic wax, a small cotton ball until you visit the orthodontist.
3. Avoid cutting of wire or else it will result in swelling of the teeth and cause breathing problems.

• Loose brackets and bands- it is commonly noticed, during wearing braces there are chances of losing brackets and bands. It can be solved at home by following the tips:-

1. Apply the orthodontic wax on the loose brackets and bands temporarily until you see a dentist.
2. Place the wax on braces that will provide comfort.
3. In case the brackets or bands fall off, save it and book an appointment to the dentist for the replacement or recemented.

Keeping your dental problems away by visiting the dentist at regular intervals.

Expert Opinion

• Dr. Ankita Gada Dental Director of Sabka dentist says ” During dental emergencies if the dentist is not available, home remedies will cause relief to the dental problems for a time period.”

References

• Handling Dental Emergencies
• Dental Emergencies