There are few things in life as stressful as a dental emergency in Manchester. The pain, the threat of tooth loss and the unexpected expense is enough to throw anyone into a panic! But being prepared for an emergency helps you to deal with your dental disaster calmly and could even mean the difference between saving your tooth or not. The most common emergencies involve fractured, dislodged or knocked out teeth, so let’s take a look at a few tips to help you handle a dental crisis calmly, should an emergency ever occur.
When disaster strikes, you don’t want to waste any precious time trying to look up the nearest Manchester emergency dentist in your area or spend hours driving around town to find a dental practice that is open out-of-hours. Instead, it’s much better to know where your nearest emergency dentist is in advance and keep their number stored on your phone so you can be ready to call them ASAP. Plus, as soon you get your dentist on the phone, you can get real-time instructions on exactly what to do. Here at Church Road Dental and Cosmetic, we offer out of hour’s emergency dental services so you always get the treatment you need exactly when you need it.
Exactly what kind of supplies you’ll need will depend on the type of dental emergency in Manchester that you experience. But it’s still a great idea to have a few things stored all in one handy spot that you can grab if needed. Take a look at this list of items we recommend stocking up on:
• Disposable gloves
• Gauze
• Small mirror
• Cold compress
• Over-the-counter painkillers
• Small container with a lid
• Temporary dental cement
• Saline solution
If you or your child knocks a tooth out, it’s not necessarily a hopeless situation. Often, we’re able to put the tooth back in place and save it – but only if you handle it correctly. To do so, you’ll need to act fast by following these 3 steps:
1. Be careful not to touch the root of the tooth – instead, make sure you hold it by the crown (that’s the visible part that you usually see in your mouth). Rinse it gently with water, but no scrubbing! We want to keep the tooth moist here, so don’t dry it off.
2. Once the tooth is clean, you’ve got two options. Preferably, try placing it gently back into its socket and hold it there by biting down softly. But sometimes this isn’t always possible (especially with young children). So instead, grab the small container and saline solution from your first aid kit and pop the tooth in to soak. If you don’t have any saline handy, milk is just as good.
3. Call your Manchester emergency dentist straight away and head over there. It’s important to realise that time is of the essence with knocked out teeth, so try to see your dentist within 30-60 minutes after the accident.
If your tooth has cracked or fractured, call your dentist for an emergency appointment straight away. But before you head over there, follow these steps:
1. First, clean your mouth by gently rinsing with warm water as it’s important to keep infection away from the affected area. Keeping the tooth’s nerve healthy while you wait for treatment gives your tooth a better chance of being easily repaired.
2. If there’s any trauma to your face involved, get the cold compress from your first aid kit and apply it to the area to lessen any swelling. If there’s any bleeding from your mouth, bite down on a gauze.
3. Call your dentist for an emergency appointment. If the tooth is really hurting, take some painkillers to relieve the pain while you wait. Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t place a painkiller (such as aspirin) directly onto a tooth that’s hurting – it will only irritate your gum and possibly make the problem worse.
If your tooth has become loose or it’s no longer in its proper place, don’t panic. Follow these steps:
1. Gently try to put your tooth back into the correct position. Using your finger, apply a tiny bit of pressure but don’t force it!
2. Call your dentist and head over there ASAP. A dislodged tooth may be painful so if you need to, take some over-the-counter painkillers and apply an ice pack to lessen any swelling. Your dentist will likely splint the tooth – which means fixing it to a healthy one until it becomes stable again.
Dental emergencies are often unexpected and so is the cost. There’s never a good time to fork out for dental repairs, so it’s a good idea to set aside some savings for emergencies. Even if you’ve got a dental insurance plan, you may still need to cover some of the cost, depending on your policy.
With our tips on how to be prepared for a dental emergency in Manchester, hopefully you’ll be able to handle any disaster that comes your way, from a toothache to knocked out teeth. Remember, if you need an out-of-hours Manchester emergency dentist, Church Road Dental and Cosmetic are here to help. Our friendly and experienced team will do our best to get you out of pain and back to dental health. Call us now on 0161 486 0743.
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