Caring for your teeth properly is important but even those who are careful may experience an emergency. Most dentist practices keep a block of time in the schedule for emergency calls so it’s important to call your dentist office as soon as an emergency arises.
To prevent many dental emergencies:
- Wear a mouthguard when participating in contact sports
- Avoid chewing hard foods like candy, ice, and popcorn kernels
- Never use teeth to open packages
When you have an emergency, call your dentist to get in as quickly as possible. For a knocked-out tooth, it’s important to preserve the tooth by placing it back into the socket if possible. The tooth needs to be kept moist at all times in milk or an ADA approved tooth preservation liquid. When you have a cracked tooth or toothache, rinse the mouth with warm water and apply a compress until you can see your dentist.