Who doesn’t love summertime vacation? Taking a break from the daily grind, relaxing, and seeing new places are all things that people look forward to the whole year. But sometimes a little phenomenon known as Murphy’s Law strikes, which states: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong!” Murphy’s Law can apply to any area of your life, including your dental health. Of course, it’s one thing to deal with a dental emergency at home, but it’s especially challenging when you experience one away from home. Fortunately, as any emergency dentist in Coral Springs will tell you, there are some easy tips that are helpful for everyone. In this blog, you’ll learn how to handle the most common dental emergencies, how to prevent them from ever happening in the first place, and what you should bring from home when you travel!
How Can You Handle the Most Common Dental Emergencies?
Here’s what to do in the following situations:
- Broken tooth or filling – If you or a family member break or chip something, start by rinsing your mouth out with lukewarm water. Call a dentist to see if they recommend seeing someone right away or if it can wait until you return home. If necessary, you can use dental wax to cover a sharp or broken edge.
- Toothache or abscess – Either of these symptoms can indicate an infection, which requires treatment as soon as possible because it can spread and become more serious. In the meantime, swish with lukewarm salt water every 3-5 hours until your appointment.
- Knocked-out tooth – In this situation, time is of the essence! If you can be seen within an hour, you’ll have a better chance of saving your tooth. Start by gently rinsing it off (holding it by the crown, not the root), and place it back in its socket, facing the right way. If you’re unable to do this, put the tooth in a glass of milk. As a last resort, you can hold the tooth in your cheek pouch or in a glass of water. It’s crucial that the tooth stays moist until you can be seen!
Also, be sure to bring dental wax and clove oil, which is helpful for a wide variety of tooth and gum pain. Both can be found at a drug store. It’s also handy to have the phone number of a recommended dentist in the area!
How Can You Prevent Dental Emergencies?
There are a few ways to prevent dental emergencies, including being consistent with your hygiene habits and not chewing on anything hard like ice, pens or hard candies.
Also, don’t forget that the best way to avoid an emergency away from home is to schedule a checkup a few weeks before leaving. That way, any potential problems can be caught early and addressed before you leave home!
About the Author
Dr. Walter Krulick has been a general and emergency dentist for many years and is also a father of three. He knows that dental emergencies can strike anytime, anywhere, so he always takes the time to help people feel prepared. He also focuses on prevention so his patients can avoid emergencies in the first place. If you have any questions, he can be contacted via his website or at (954) 341-0500.