You don’t know what happened. You were reaching down for your drink when someone tapped on your shoulder.
“Is that your kid on the ground?”
You look up and see where they are pointing. Sure enough, that looks like your kid lying on the ground holding her mouth. There’s another player nearby holding her head.
You start to piece together some things. It looks like they may have collided, and your kids took the brunt of it in the mouth. You head to the field as quickly as you can. Two of your daughter’s teammates help her to the sidelines. The trainer sees you and hands you a bag. It’s got a tooth in it.
“Call your dentist as soon as you can,” she recommends.
You pull out your phone to call 704-766-8662. You know that McNulty & Dancausse General Dentistry make every effort to treat dental emergencies at their Charlotte, NC office that day if at all possible.
What You Can Do
Dislodged teeth are just one reason you or someone you love may need emergency dental care. In these situations, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, before helping someone, you should put on vinyl or latex gloves. Once you have taken steps to protect your self, you’ll want to see what the problem is. If it’s a broken tooth or one that been knocked out of its socket, there is a good chance the person affected will be bleeding.
They should rinse their mouth as soon as they are able. You may need to use gauze to soak up blood, rinsing and repeating as needed until the bleeding stops.
With a dislodged tooth, try to place it back in the socket. If it will stay, leave it there until you can see a dentist. If not, place the tooth in a container of milk to bring with you.
For a broken tooth, you will want to cover it with gauze or dental wax. This is to prevent accidentally cutting the soft tissues of the mouth on the edge of the broken tooth.
In either case, the person who was injured may want to use an ice pack (to reduce swelling) or take an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease any pain.
How We Can Help
The first step is getting the patient out of pain. We can do this with local anesthetic, dental sedation, or a combination of both.
Once we have that under control, we will determine if the tooth can be saved, and what needs to be done to restore their smile. With our many restorative options, we are confident that we can rebuild your loved one’s smile and bring back the function of the teeth, too.
Practice Preventive Care
The best way to avoid dental emergencies is to make preventive care a priority. Regular brushing, flossing, and professional cleanings will reduce your risk of toothaches and infections. Wearing an athletic mouthguard while playing or practicing sports can greatly reduce your odds of experiencing the issues described earlier in today’s post.
Call 704-766-8662 now if you need emergency care or to schedule a preventive appointment at McNulty & Dancausse General Dentistry.