If you have experienced trauma such as a knocked out or broken tooth, you may require emergency dental care in Battle Creek from Halonen Family Dentistry. In this post, we will look at these two scenarios and what you should do if you experience a dental emergency.
Knocked Out Tooth
Most common in children and young adults, a knocked out tooth is a serious emergency that requires emergency dental care. If you or someone you know has their teeth knocked out, you should call your Battle Creek dentist as soon as possible. You should also be sure to take proper care of the tooth before you can make it to your dentist. If the tooth is knocked out completely, only handle the tooth by the hard, outer chewing surfaces that are normally exposed because touching the root can cause damage to the cells that are necessary for the tooth to properly heal. You should rinse off the tooth, getting rid of debris, without handling the root. Once you have rinsed the tooth, you should try to gently place it back in its socket. If you cannot put it back in its socket, carefully place the tooth in Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution or milk and get to your dentist as soon as you can as the tooth has a better chance for success the less time it is outside of the mouth.
Broken Teeth
If your tooth is broken due to trauma, and pain is present, and/or the tooth is bleeding from the inside you require emergency dental care and should call your dentist immediately. There are other instances of broken teeth that do not require emergency dental care, including older adults with large fillings may have parts of teeth that chip or fracture with no pain or sensitivity present while eating something (even something soft like a piece of bread). If the broken tooth occurs this way and there is no pain or sensitivity, you do not need to seek immediate dental attention and can make a regular appointment.
