What to Do with Your Dental Emergency | Snohomish Dentist

Life happens. Sometimes our teeth are the victims of an emergency. Cracked teeth are natural accidents that happen to the best of us. You made a dental appointment to fix it, but it isn’t for a couple of days. What do you do in the meantime? Here are the top three dental emergencies and how to handle them: Toothache. If you find that you have a lot of pain around a certain tooth, you may have an abscess or exposed nerve from a filling or crown. If this is the case, try swishing with a warm salt water rinse and see your dentist as soon as possible. You may need to have a root canal or the tooth extracted entirely.

Broken or chipped teeth. Chipping your tooth is unfortunate, so if this happens, find as many pieces of the tooth you can and rinse them (and your mouth) with warm water. If your mouth is bleeding, gauze may be necessary. If the pain is extreme, try using a cold compress on the area to help relieve any pain.

Missing teeth. Nothing is worse for your smile than knocking out a tooth. Fortunately, if you can find said tooth, there may be a chance to fix it. Pick up the tooth but the crown, as opposed to the root. Rinse off any debris, but don’t scrub it. If you can, try inserting it back into your mouth. If not, put it in a glass of milk or warm salt water until your appointment.

For more information regarding dental emergencies, contact Dr. Ted Haines, DDS in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com for additional information.

Dr. Ted Haines proudly accepts patients from Snohomish, Monroe, Lake Stevens, Everett, Mill Creek, Woodinville, and surrounding areas.