Dental Plan Blog

Six Most Common Dental Emergencies and How To Keep Your Teeth

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Let's face it, accidents happen and leave many different parts of your body susceptible to injury, including your teeth and mouth. If you experience a dental emergency, the actions you take immediately after can mean the difference between keeping a tooth and losing one.

When you suffer a dental emergency, first and foremost don't panic. The American Dental Association has put together some great tips on what to do when you experience several of the most common dental emergencies.

Think of them as six separate step-by-step guides to preserving your teeth in the event of the inevitable. So without further ado, here they are:

1. What to do for a bitten lip or tongue: Gently clean the affected area with a cloth and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. If the bleeding persists, go to the ER immediately.
2. What to do for a broken tooth: Call your dentist immediately. In the meantime, rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area around your tooth. Also, use a cold compress to keep swelling down.
3. What to do if you think you've broken your jaw: Call your dentist right away and apply a cold compress to keep swelling down.
4. What to do if your tooth is knocked out:  If the tooth is dirty, hold it by its crown (i.e. the cap of the tooth) and rinse the root in water. Don't scrub or remove any tissue fragments. Once the tooth has been cleaned off, gently insert and hold it in its socket if possible. If not, place the tooth in a cup of milk. Go to your dentist right away.
5. What to do for objects caught between your teeth: First and foremost, don't panic and avoid exercising extreme measures. Avoid cutting your gums and never use a sharp instrument to dislodge the object. Try gently removing it with a piece of dental floss. If that doesn't work, call your dentist immediately.
6. What to do if you have a toothache: Rinse your mouth with warm water and use dental floss to remove any food and/or debris from the area surrounding the aching tooth. Never put aspirin on your gums surrounding the aching tooth (it may burn your gum tissue). If your toothache persists, call your dentist.

Once again, if you have a dental emergency make sure you call your dentist right away and provide as much detail about the emergency as possible. Most dentists reserve time each day for emergency patients so getting help shouldn't be a problem.

Concerned about the high cost of dentistry? If so, you can consider a few options. Talk to your dentist about a payment schedule for any of your major (and more costly procedures) or consider joining a discount dental plan for immediate 20-50% dental discounts on all procedures.