There are several things that might fall into the category of ‘dental emergency’.
At Tindale Dental Centre in Penrith we consider the top three incidents to be:
- A knocked-out adult tooth
- A chipped, cracked or broken tooth
- A toothache
We’ve heard all the elaborate ‘old wives tales’ about what to do in a dental emergency but, if you are ever in the unfortunate situation where you must deal with one of these issues, we have the following modern suggestions on how best to handle the situation:
Knocked out an adult tooth
- Do your best to remain calm.
- Locate the tooth and try not to touch the root, handle only the crown of the tooth.
- Remove any dirt or debris from the tooth using saliva (don’t rinse in water).
- If possible, try placing the tooth back into the socket, ensuring it is facing the right way.
- If replacing the tooth is not possible, place it carefully between the cheek and gum or into a small amount of milk. Keep the tooth moist at all times.
- See a dentist as soon as possible. Contact our experienced local to Penrith dental team at Tindale Dental Centre on (02) 4726 5400 and request an emergency appointment.
Chipped, cracked or broken tooth
- Do your best to remain calm.
- Rinse your mouth out with warm water to clean the area.
- Apply a cold compress to the face to help with swelling.
- See a dentist as soon as possible. Contact the experienced dental team at Tindale Dental Centre on (02) 4726 5400 and request an emergency appointment.
Toothache
- Do your best to remain calm.
- A toothache can be caused by a number of reasons. Rinse your mouth out with warm water to clean the area.
- Gently floss between the affected teeth to remove any food that may be caught,
- Apply a cold compress to the face to help with swelling, if any.
- DO NOT put aspirin directly on and aching tooth as this may burn the surrounding gum tissue.
- See a dentist as soon as possible. Contact our experienced Penrith dental team at Tindale Dental Centre on (02) 4726 5400 and request an emergency appointment.
Remember – prevention is always better than cure, as such we would always recommend:
- Wearing a mouth guard when playing sport.
- Avoid chewing or biting on hard foods (boiled lollies etc.) or other hard items (pens, etc).
- DO NOT use your teeth to open things – use scissors or your hands to open packets, jars and bottles. Or ask someone else to assist you.
- Maintain a high level of dental health – brush and floss your teeth twice daily and have regular 6-monthly dental check-ups.
Our team of qualified dentists understand that accidents happen, and toothaches can arise – for this reason, we cater for emergency dental appointments as needed. Tindale Dental Centre in Penrith is open 6-days a week and we encourage you to call (02) 4726 5400 to discuss your emergency needs.