When you have a dental emergency, you should call a dentist immediately – most dentists allocate time to emergencies and will see you immediately.
The following tips can help preserve the tooth until your appointment:
- Knocked-Out Tooth – pick the tooth up by the top or crown and do not touch the root then rinse the tooth carefully. If possible, you should replace the tooth gently in the socket, otherwise place the tooth in a cup of milk or small container of water.
- Loose Tooth or a Tooth Out of Alignment – gently try to realign the tooth – your dentist may splint the loose tooth to adjacent teeth to keep it stabilized.
- Chipped – a chipped tooth that doesn’t hurt is not usually considered a dental emergency requiring immediate attention but be careful chewing so you don’t make the chip any worse. Your dentist will either smooth out the chip or fill it in with composite material.
- Cracked and Fractured teeth – to increase the chances your tooth can be saved, rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water, apply a cold compress to minimize swelling and take acetaminophen to alleviate pain.