While you can’t prevent every dental emergency from happening, knowing how to react can mean the difference between feeling overwhelmed with panic and having the peace of mind to save your natural tooth. Not only will the following information help you limit your risk for experiencing a dental emergency, but it will also teach you how to handle a knocked-out adult tooth.

How to Limit Your Risk for a Dental Emergency

Good preventive care can help you avoid some common dental emergencies like toothaches and oral infections caused by advanced decay, cavities, and gum disease. Brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes each time and floss at least once each day. Additionally, visit our office every six months for professional cleanings and exams — this allows our expert team to treat any developing problems before they become major issues.

If you participate in contact sports or extreme physical activities, invest in a custom athletic mouthguard. If you receive facial trauma, a mouthguard can often protect you from chipped, broken, and knocked-out teeth.

Learn to Identify a Dental Emergency

Not all changes in your oral health constitute dental emergencies. For example, if you chip a tooth while on vacation, you may want to wait to seek dental treatment until you return home. As long as the chip is not causing you pain and is not cutting your mouth, it is usually OK to wait until a more convenient time to seek treatment. But issues like profuse oral bleeding, severe toothaches, broken dentures, lost fillings, or permanent teeth are always emergencies!

What to Do for a Knocked-Out Tooth

If a permanent tooth gets knocked out, some simple steps can greatly increase the chances of saving it. First, gently rinse the lost tooth with milk or water (taking care to only handle its chewing surface and not its sensitive root) and slide it back into its socket. If that isn’t possible, then place the lost tooth between your cheek and gums or in a glass of milk while you seek emergency treatment. Reimplantation must take place within the hour after injury, and preferably within 15-30 minutes, for the best chance of survival.

Emergency Dental Care in Maitland, FL

To ask our team any questions about preparing for a dental emergency or to receive emergency dental care in Maitland, call our office today!