Life has its emergencies. When you’ve damaged or lost a tooth, you have a dental emergency. When this happens, call us immediately at 610-696-9119 and schedule an emergency appointment. Even if we’re closed, you’ll hear an after-hours number to call.
3 Major Tips For Any Dental Emergency
The key to staying calm is to know what to do. Here are the three biggest tips for handling a dental emergency.
STOP ANY BLEEDING
This is the first thing you have to do in any dental emergency. If you are cut and bleeding, use direct pressure to stop it. Sterile gauze is perfect for this, but use a clean cloth in a pinch. If you cannot stop the bleeding, go to your nearest emergency room immediately. That’s the more important problem.
CREATE A DENTAL FIRST AID KIT TODAY
Many people have a first aid kit in the kitchen, garage, or bathroom for medical emergencies. That’s why it’s a good idea to make your own for dental emergencies. Instead of panicking, you can grab the kit and have things that help right at your fingertips.
Start by getting a box or container and labeling it “Dental First Aid”. Then put the following inside:
- Sterile gauze
- A small container that can be shut watertight
- Plastic gloves
- Dental cement
- Non-aspirin pain relievers
- Our dental office’s phone number and address
CALL US IMMEDIATELY AT 610-696-9119
Don’t hesitate to call our West Chester, PA dental office if you think you’re having a dental emergency. Our staff is ready to help you with an emergency appointment. If you call after our office is closed, you’ll get an after-hours number to call and get help.
It’s also a good idea to go ahead and put our phone number in your phone’s contact list. That could help you stay calm by having one less thing to remember during a dental emergency.
Know What To Do So You Can Stay Calm
Knowledge helps you react calmly. Here are some specific tips for handling some common dental emergencies.
VERY BAD TOOTHACHE
If you have a toothache that gets too bad to deal with, call our West Chester, PA dental office immediately and explain what happened. Until you can be seen for an emergency appointment, use cold packs and non-aspirin pain relievers to manage the pain.
CHIPPED OR CRACKED TOOTH
Call Dr. Sykora if you damage a tooth bad enough to chip or crack the enamel. You might not be in much pain immediately afterward, but anything strong enough to damage enamel could easily cause damage you cannot see. Plus, a cracked tooth is in danger of getting wider and letting bacteria inside your tooth.
FILLING OR CROWN FELL OUT
For a lost filling, use dental cement as directed to fill in the cavity. This will last for 1-2 days, giving you time to contact our West Chester, PA dental office in time for an emergency appointment.
For a lost dental crown, use dental cement as a temporary adhesive to stick the dental crown back where it belongs. Then call Dr. Sykora as soon as possible to get it back on permanently (or replace the crown if it was damaged).
LOOSE TOOTH
Do your best to leave that tooth alone. Avoid the temptation to see just how loose it is because that could be the thing that makes your tooth fall out. Not every loose tooth can be saved, but Dr. Sykora has the training and experience needed to help.
KNOCKED-OUT TOOTH
Carefully pick up the tooth by the top and rinse it off. Then gently put it back in its socket. If it stays, good. If it won’t stay, then put it in a small container with enough water or milk to cover it. In the meantime, call our West Chester, PA dental office and explain how it was lost.
Call us IMMEDIATELY at 610-696-9119 if you are having a dental emergency. You are normally able to be seen the same day that you call.