If you have a dental emergency, from pain to swelling, then you should seek help as soon as you can. However, there can be situations where this just isn’t possible, whether it’s because you’re travelling or because your dentist can’t fit you in on the same day. In these cases, here are some tips for dealing with a dental emergency as best you can.
Assess the seriousness of the situation
When it comes to dental problems, not all of them are emergencies, although they can be painful and annoying. You should check whether your issue is classed as a dental emergency, or whether it’s something you need to see a professional about right away. For example, a tooth getting knocked out or fractured will need seeing as soon as possible, otherwise you may lose the tooth.
For some issues, you can usually wait to see a dentist if you take care of yourself at home. For example, if you have toothache that’s not severe, you can take anti-inflammatory painkillers, use a cool compress and rinse with salt water until you can get an appointment. If you have soft tissue trauma, then you should try to stop the bleeding at home with a clean bandage, applying pressure until bleeding stops.
Put together a dental first aid kit
A dental first aid kit can be an excellent way to deal with any emergencies while you wait to see a dentist. You can buy pre-made kits, or make your own with items such as:
- Dental paste
- A dental mirror
- Temporary crown cement
- Gauze
- A compress
This ensures that, if there is a dental emergency, you have all the kit you need to give dental first aid and keep the person comfortable until they can get help. If the person is in extreme pain, you can’t stop the bleeding, or you are concerned, then you may need to go to the emergency room.
Get advice over the phone
If, for any reason, you can’t get access to a dentist right away, see if you can get an initial chat over the phone. When you use an emergency dentist Sydney residents go to, they will often do a quick telephone triage and can offer advice on what painkillers or other methods you can use to help deal with the problem until you see them. If the problem is serious, they may suggest you seek further medical help, such as going to the hospital.
Dental issues can be extremely painful and annoying, and can stop you from doing day to day tasks. Ideally, if you have a dental problem, from a broken tooth to bleeding, you should see an emergency dentist right away. However, this isn’t always possible, so it’s important to do all you can to deal with the problem at home. If you have a dental first aid kit to hand, and over the counter painkillers, you can at deal with some minor issues at home, so you can get more comfortable until you can see your dentist.
