Dental injuries are really quite common and can be caused when playing sports, or may be due to other kinds of trauma. But do you know what to do if someone suffers a dental injury? The first thing to decide is whether or not you need to make an appointment to see Dr Rik Trivedi or another of the dentists at Parrock Dental and Implant Centre. Luckily you’ll find our opening hours are quite long, and we are even open on Saturday mornings. However emergency appointments aren’t always necessary, so how do you decide? Common emergencies that you might end up having to deal with include:
Toothache. This is the most common problem and can cause a considerable amount of pain. It’s worth checking to make sure the discomfort isn’t being caused by something trapped in between the teeth or right down at the gum line as even a small piece of food can be enough to push the tooth out of alignment. Gently floss right around the tooth to see if anything is trapped, but if this doesn’t help then you may need to make an appointment to visit Parrock Street. It’s worth keeping that appointment even if the toothache subsequently subsides as there will be some underlying reason as to why it developed that could well require treatment.
Knocked out teeth. If you or someone close to you has knocked out a tooth then pick it up holding it by the crown area and rinse off any dirt. Don’t touch the root area and don’t attempt to remove any pieces of tissue that are still attached. If you feel comfortable enough then you can try reinserting it yourself, but do make sure it’s facing the correct way. Otherwise store it in a small container with a little milk or plain water and make an emergency appointment for treatment as reinsertion is much more successful if done within the hour. If reinsertion fails then you may need to consider having dental implants in Kent. This is perhaps the best and most permanent way of replacing lost teeth.
Chipped or broken teeth will need attention from a dentist, but in the meantime rinse your mouth to remove any loose pieces of tooth. If you have any bleeding then apply gentle pressure using a clean piece of gauze. It should stop within twenty minutes, but if it shows no signs of slowing then you may need to visit your nearest outpatients.
If you do suffer an injury to your tooth then please do give our dentist in Kent a call for further advice on 01474 537191.