With Summer almost here, you will need to be extra cautious. That’s because the concrete around the swimming pool is hard enough to knock out a tooth, and cookouts are filled with the sort of foods (not to mention ice) that can chip or fracture your pearly whites. Plus, all those sugary refreshments will only feed the bacteria that causes cavities and worse. The situation sounds bleak, but it doesn’t have to be at all.
We just want you to be aware that your oral health needs never take a vacation and that a dental emergency can happen when you least expect it. That’s why our South Surrey general dentist’s office keeps some appointment slots open each day for unexpected guests.
Here’s the uplifting bit: dental emergencies are seldom life-threatening in the way that other medical emergencies can be. However, they can be life-changing (and not in a good way) if they are not handled in a prompt and appropriate fashion.
And so, for today’s blog entry, we plan to go over some common situations. If you are currently experiencing any of these, or if you have a problem that is not listed but still worrisome, call White Rock Dental Group (at 604-635-1695 ext 1) right away.
A Chipped Tooth
There are many things that can cause you to chip or even break a tooth. You can fall flat on your face or try to use your teeth as bottle openers or in place of other tools. Biting into popcorn, candy, rib bones, or ice can cause real damage too. Old amalgam fillings can also wear out and cause a piece of your tooth to break off while you are in the midst of chewing something tasty.
No matter how it happens, and even if there isn’t any pain, never ignore this sort of problem. That’s because when you chip or break a tooth, you can expose the dentin and dental pulp, putting yourself at risk for a root canal or worse. Let us know what is going on and we will do what we can to get you back on the good road.
Lost Or Loose Tooth
Tooth loss can happen anywhere at any time. It can strike at work, at the gym, in a car crash, by the pool, basically anywhere. Regardless of the set and setting, losing a tooth will be a painful, scary, and traumatic experience. Your job will be to try to remain calm, cool, and collected! We can not stress enough that your reaction time is crucial when attempting to save a dislodged tooth.
If you are able to locate the tooth, pick it up by the crown rather than the root, lightly rinse it off, and place the tooth in milk. Then, head to our office as quickly as you can.
In the event that you have a loosened-up tooth, do your best to leave it alone. By all means, please do not eat anything or play with it using your tongue.
Bites
If someone else bites you, that is a different matter altogether! But if you should accidentally bite your tongue, lips, or any other part of your mouth, it will certainly hurt, but you may not need to come in unless it is really bad.
Begin by gently working on cleaning the area that you cut and securing some sort of ice pack or cold compress. In most instances, the bleeding will stop before too long. If you have damaged your gum, tongue, cheek, or other mouth tissue and need help stopping the bleeding, please call us as soon as possible. Dr. Rogers would rather hear from you than not, so that we can assess the situation and come up with a workable solution.
Don’t Wait, Call For Help!
We aren’t trying to scare you. We just want you to be ready. If you think you have a dental emergency, call White Rock Dental Group today at 604-635-1695 ext 1 for an expedited appointment. For medical emergencies, head to the nearest hospital. For regular dental appointments, feel free to contact us online.