Common Dental Emergencies and How to Handle Them

Your teeth are important and you need to make sure you take care of them. You should know not only how to keep them clean but also about common dental emergencies and how to handle them. Our team at McGlone Dental Care in Denver want you to know what to do if you have a broken tooth, a bitten lip or tongue, a toothache, a knocked out tooth or a broken jaw.

Dental emergencies that can happen anytime, day or night. They can be very painful and sometimes scary. Knowing what to do can help a lot. 

If your teeth bite your tongue or lip, you should apply pressure and a cold compress to stop the bleeding and keep the swelling down. If it doesn’t stop bleeding, go to your doctor or hospital. You may need stitches.

If you suffer a chipped or broken tooth, which can happen to anyone, rinse your mouth out with warm water to clean the tooth. Then apply a cold compress so it doesn’t swell. If possible, contact your dentist right away. If you have the piece of tooth that came off, keep it and give it to your dentist. Sometimes it can be reattached to the tooth. Either way, we can restore the loss.

When a tooth aches, it can be many things, including a tooth abscess, broken tooth, damaged filling, or infected gums. You should always rinse your mouth with water and floss your teeth just to make sure there’s nothing stuck between them. If you have a toothache, don’t hesitate to call McGlone Dental. We can take a look at and see if it needs an antibiotic, filling or root canal. We know how painful a tooth can be, so the sooner you come in the better. Sometimes it’s as simple as making a mouth guard to prevent grinding your teeth at night.

If your jaw gets broken, go to the hospital right away. This is a very serious medical issue that requires a doctor. You will have pain, swelling, and bleeding in your mouth. Don’t wait to get medical attention. With a broken jaw often comes damaged teeth. We can help you with your teeth, but first, have your jaw taken care of by medical professionals. You should apply an ice pack or bag of frozen peas or beans to your jaw. To help stabilize the broken jaw you can tie a towel or cloth under your jaw and around your head.

If you ever get a tooth knocked out, and can find it, hold it by the crown and rinse the root. Try not to touch or remove any of the tooth’s attached root tissue. After it’s clean, put the tooth back into its socket if at all possible. If not, keep the tooth moist by putting it in a container with milk and saliva. Call us as soon as you can and bring the tooth with you to your appointment.

Have you ever gotten something wedged between your teeth and even floss won’t dislodge it? Just call us and we can take care of it quickly. Please don’t find something sharp to pick your teeth with as this can often create a bigger problem like a chipped tooth.

Our team at McGlone Dental Care in Denver wants you to know about common dental emergencies and how to handle them, for your comfort and safety, and to aid us in being able to fix any issues you might be experiencing with your teeth.