Denture Care
August 23, 2024Women and Tooth Care
August 23, 2024Emergency Care
A knocked out tooth or bitten tongue can cause panic in any parent, but quick thinking and staying calm are the best ways to approach such common dental emergencies and prevent additional unnecessary damage and costly dental restoration. This includes taking measures such as application of cold compresses to reduce swelling, and of course, contacting our office as soon as possible.
When the lower jaw opens and closes, the disc stays between the condyle and the glenoid fossa of the temporal bone at all times. When this happens, this is a normal healthy TMJ and the patient can open wide without any discomfort and without any noise. With a normal opening, the patient should be able to get three fingers between the upper and lower front teeth when the mouth is open as wide as possible. In cases where the TM joint is functioning normally with the disc in the proper position, the muscles of the head, neck and shoulders function relatively pain-free.
Self-Assessment Test
Here are a few questions you may want to ask yourself, to help determine if you have any symptoms:
If ther is no post in it, try to place it back on the tooth and bring it with you to your appointment if you cannot.
A broken, fractured or displaced tooth is usually not a cause for alarm, as long as decisive, quick action is taken.
If the tooth has been knocked out, try to place the tooth back in its socket while waiting to see your dentist.
First, rinse the mouth of any blood or other debris and place a cold cloth or compress on the cheek near the injury. This will keep down swelling.
If you cannot locate the tooth back in its socket, hold the dislocated tooth by the crown – not the root. Next, place it in a container of warm milk, saline or the victim’s own saliva and keep it in the solution until you arrive at the emergency room or dentist’s office.
For a fractured tooth, it is best to rinse with warm water and again, apply a cold pack or compress. Ibuprofen may be used to help keep down swelling.
If the tooth fracture is minor, the tooth can be sanded or if necessary, restored by the dentist if the pulp is not severely damaged.
If a child’s primary tooth has been loosened by an injury or an emerging permanent tooth, try getting the child to gently bite down on an apple or piece of caramel; in some cases, the tooth will easily separate from the gum.
