Dental Help In A Hurry

Dentist Blog

When you have problems with your teeth, you have problems with everything. A toothache or other dental mishaps could ruin your day, and you may not be able to get to the dentist until later. You should know that there are some things you can do yourself to help ease your dental situation. Read on to learn more about getting some dental relief in a hurry.

Toothache: You likely already know that pain in an area of your mouth will mean you need to make an appointment with your dentist. It could be broken or cracked tooth, a lost filling or even an abscess. You can cope with the pain by taking over-the-counter pain medications and sticking to a soft diet until you can get to the dentist. You may heard that placing an aspirin directly on the affected tooth will help, but this is not advisable since the salicylic acid in the aspirin could actually burn your sensitive gums.

Lost tooth: Accidents happen, so if your tooth gets knocked out, take these steps:

  1. Try to retrieve and save the lost tooth, if possible.
  2. Rinse the tooth off in warm water, taking care not to remove any pieces of gum that might still be attached. Try to gently reinsert the tooth, but don't attempt to force it into place.
  3. If you cannot reinsert it, place it in some warm water with a pinch of salt added or in a cup of milk.
  4. You can find tooth-saving kits in your pharmacy. These kits contain everything you need to preserve your tooth until you can get to your dentist, including a salt solution and a well-cushioned place for it to rest.
  5. The sooner you get to the dentist, the more successful the chances of the tooth being reattached.

Problems with fillings: The (temporary) solution to a loose filling could be as close as your pocket or purse. Use a bit of sugar-free gum to make a temporary filling material until you can be seen by your dentist. Note: do not use regular gum, the sugar in the gum could cause untold pain and misery if used. You may also be able to use a little dental cement from the pharmacy to fill the cavity, and cement works well with loose crowns as well. Do not, whatever you do, use superglue on your teeth.

Abscesses: An abscess is an infection, and is likely the most dangerous of dental emergencies. Gum infections can spread to other parts of your body, even to your brain, so it can be life-threatening. Unless you can see the dentist within a short amount of time, such as the next day, go to an emergency room and get started on antibiotics as soon as possible.

Follow up with your dentist at your earliest convenience. Contact a company like Pine Lake Dental Group to learn more.

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14 June 2017

Mouth Rinses Are Not Just for Bad Breath

I have always brushed and flossed my teeth daily, but I still had the occasional cavity when I visited the dentist for a check-up. He told me it was normal to have a cavity on occasion and that I shouldn't let it stress me out too much. Well, I am not one to just accept any problem I am having, so I started looking into how to improve my oral hygiene even more. I had always thought mouthwash was just to improve your breath, but I found some that said they helped keep cavities away. I started using one every day before bed. I haven't had a cavity in two years now, and I think the mouth rinse is the reason! I created this blog to remind other people that even if they brush and floss regularly, they can always find ways to take even better care of their teeth.