AT HOME GUIDE

At Home Guide

After contacting our office, the following tips can help you manage a dental emergency until you can get to the dentist. 

DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN OR IBUPROFEN FOR A DENTAL EMERGENCY

Until you see the dentist, apply ice to the painful area for 10-20 minutes of every hour. To alleviate pain, take acetaminophen as directed on the packaging label.

OTHER TIPS

• Place a teaspoon of salt in a coffee cup of boiling water and use it as a warm mouthwash to relieve irritation and reduce swelling.
• When a tooth is knocked out, place tooth in a glass of milk and bring tooth with you to the dentist.
• If you are experiencing pain surrounding one specific tooth, you may have something stuck between your teeth or inside the gum tissue, try FLOSSING to remove lodged food particle.
• If you have a reusable cold compress pack in your kitchen freezer, place the cold pack on the painful area. This should help reduce swelling, numb irritation, and stop any bleeding that may occur.
• Rinse your mouth with Hydrogen Peroxide to help kill bacteria and alleviate irritation.

IF YOU THINK THE JAW IS BROKEN

Go to the emergency room immediately. Do not move your jaw. Try to secure the jaw with a neck tie or piece of clothing that can wrap around the jaw and top of the head.

A LOST FILLING OR CROWN

To relieve pain, try using clove oil (available at pharmacies). Apply clove oil to a cotton swab and apply it to the exposed part of the tooth. Applying ice pack over the painful area may also relieve some pain. Schedule appointment immediately with the dentist.

GUMS ARE SWOLLEN OR IN PAIN

To relieve pain, call office and explain that you are experiencing gum pain or swelling. The dentist will need to conduct an exam to identify the underlying cause which may be due to an infection (abscess). If you experience a sudden rush of fluid from the painful area, rise mouth with warm water.