How to Handle Dental Emergencies During Coronavirus Pandemic

When dental emergencies occur, especially during this coronavirus pandemic, getting the right treatment can prevent further complications.

In response to the American Dental Association to limit patient contact, we can only treat urgent dental emergencies. It is therefore important to differentiate between urgent and non-urgent oral emergencies.

What Are Urgent Dental Emergencies?

Dental emergencies are any injury or bruising causing the teeth to break, get knocked out, or gum bruising. Every dental emergency is handled differently and knowing what to do immediately it occurs is crucial to your recovery.

However, not all dental emergencies are regarded as urgent. This means they can either be treated at home or wait until a later date. Some of the common urgent oral emergencies include:

• Knocked teeth. Your teeth can partially or completely get dislodged from the socket because of an accident or direct contact during sports. Don’t try to pull the teeth, only the dentist can decide if the teeth can be extracted or not.
• Infected teeth. An abscess develops on your gum or in between your teeth. The infection causes the formation of pus, which can spread to the surrounding tissues. Urgent treatment is required to stop the infection from spreading and saving your teeth.
• Soft tissue injuries. The tissues in the tongue, cheeks, palate, and lips can get bruised causing severe bleeding. Furthermore, they can lead to infections which can further cause your oral health to deteriorate.
• Broken teeth. A fractured or broken tooth is an emergency if the fracture extends to the root. A minor crack can be handled at home.
• Toothaches. Every dental emergency causes some kind of pain. Severe tooth pain can be caused by decay, infection, or fractured teeth.

What are the Non-Urgent Emergencies?

Not all oral accidents require immediate dental treatment. Some can be handled at home, and others can wait until a later date. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we are limiting physical contact, and therefore if you have any of the following, you can call for home instructions:

• Loss of dental restorations such as crowns, fillings, and veneers. You can get temporary fittings from your local drug store. Contact us if you have severe tooth sensitivity as a result.
• Minor dental cracks and fractures with no pain
• dull toothache
• Food stuck in the teeth can cause bleeding. However, flossing can get rid of the food particles.

How to Handle These Dental Emergencies?

As you seek an emergency dentist in Culver City, it is crucial to take care of your teeth and mouth to increase the chances of recovery.

• Rinse the mouth with warm salt water to get rid of debris and dirt. Don’t scrub the teeth with soap or any harsh product
• If the teeth are knocked out, pick the teeth by the crown and avoid touching the root. Try to push the tooth back to the socket. Place the tooth in milk, if it is completely dislodged from the socket. Avoid using water to preserve the teeth.
• Don’t wrap the teeth with tissue or cloth
• Place a gauze pad on the teeth to stop the bleeding. You can also use a moist tea bag for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Apply ice pack in the affected area of ten minutes to reduce swelling.
• Take pain relievers to ease the pain, but don’t put the medication directly on the gums to avoid irritation.
• Visit our dentist in Culver City, CA within an hour of the accident. This will make it easy for us to save the teeth if treatment is started early.

Take Action

Dental emergencies are unexpected, and it is what you do that will increase the chances of saving your teeth. Schedule an appointment if you have an urgent dental emergency. Additionally, take a picture of your teeth and gums and send them to us, together with a list of your symptoms. Our dental team will send you a video with instructions on what to do.

At Toothopia Dental we are committed to providing excellent emergency dental care while observing the health protocols put in place to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.