A dental emergency or pain is always unexpected, but when you’re at or near home, you probably have a general plan for emergency care. What do you do, though, if you’re on vacation and nowhere near our dental office in Austin?
Until you find dental care, there are steps you can take to help prevent further trauma and alleviate symptoms and pain.
Toothache? Rinse your mouth with warm water, and use dental floss to remove lodged food if possible. If there’s swelling, hold a cold compress to the outside of your mouth or cheek.
Chipped/broken tooth? Gently rinse the mouth and any broken pieces with warm water.
Knocked out tooth? Retrieve it if possible, hold it by the crown (not the root). If possible, try to replace the tooth. If you can’t, place the tooth in milk or a glass of water with a pinch of table salt.
Use these techniques for nearly every dental emergency. Apply oil of cloves with a cotton swab to help alleviate dental pain. And get to a dentist as soon as possible, even if you’re out of town. The sooner your emergency receives restorative dental care, the better your chances are of saving your tooth.
Once you return home, schedule an appointment at our dental office in Austin at 512.346.5196 to have the injury examined. It’s important to make sure there’s been no damage to the tooth’s root. If necessary, Dr. Marc Worob may suggest additional treatment such as bonding, crowns or veneers to restore the tooth completely.