Unfortunately, dental problems don't always time themselves to coincide with your next check-up, or during the convenience of the daytime. Whether you are at home, or out and about, if you are suffering from dental pain and discomfort – we can help!
Any dental emergency can be potentially serious and should not be ignored. Ignoring a dental problem, like an injury to the teeth or gums, can increase the risk of permanent damage as well as the need for more extensive and expensive treatment later. In all cases, please book an emergency appointment or contact us as quickly as possible.
Below you will find some common dental problems and advice on how you can alleviate pain until we can see you.
Please find below a list of emergency situations, and what to do in the event if it happens to you or a friend or family member.
First, thoroughly rinse your mouth with warm water and use dental floss to remove any lodged food. If your mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth or cheek.
Never put aspirin or any other painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth because it may burn the gum tissue.
Please contact us as soon as possible.
First, if possible save any pieces of the tooth that you can and rinse your mouth with warm water together with any broken pieces.
If there's bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area until the bleeding stops this can take around 10 minutes. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip near the broken/chipped tooth to keep any swelling down and relieve pain.
Please contact us as soon as possible.
Retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown (the part that is usually exposed in the mouth) and rinse off the tooth root with water if it's dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible, try to put the tooth back in place. Make sure it's facing the right way. Never force it into the socket. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, put the tooth in a small container of milk (or cup of water that contains a pinch of table salt, if milk is not available) or a product containing cell growth medium, such as Save-a-Tooth.
Knocked out teeth with the highest chances of being saved are those seen by the dentist and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out.
Please contact us as soon as possible.
Contact us right away.
Until you can get to the Practice, to relieve pain, apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area.
if needed you can take an over-the-counter pain relief.
First, try using dental floss to remove the object very gently and carefully. If you cannot get the object out, see your dentist. Never use a pin or other sharp object to poke at the stuck object. These instruments can cut your gums or scratch your tooth surface.
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If you lose a crown, please make an appointment to see us as soon as possible, if you still have the crown please brig it with you. If the tooth is causing pain and you are unable to get to us right away, use a cotton swab to apply a small amount of clove oil to the sensitive area (clove oil can be purchased at your local chemist or in the spice aisle of your supermarket). As a temporary measure stick a piece of sugarless gum into the cavity (sugar-filled gum will cause pain) or use an over-the-counter dental cement.
If possible, slip the crown back over the tooth. Before doing so, coat the inner surface with an over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste, or denture adhesive, to help hold the crown in place. Never use super glue!
Abcesses are infections that occur around the root of a tooth or in the space between the teeth and gums. Abcesses are a serious condition that can damage tissue and surrounding teeth, with the infection possibly spreading to other parts of the body if left untreated. Because of the serious oral health and general health problems that can result from an abcess, please contact us as soon as possible if you discover a pimple-like swelling on your gum that usually is painful.
In the meantime, to ease the pain and draw the pus toward the surface, try rinsing your mouth with a mild salt water solution (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of water) several times a day.
If a wire breaks, cover the end with orthodontic wax, a small cotton ball, or piece of gauze until you can get to the Practice. Never cut the wire, as you could end up breathing it into your lungs or swallowing it.
If a bracket comes away from your tooth during treatment, please contact your orthodontist. Usually, the bracket will stay attached to the wire and can be left until your next appointment unless causing irritation. If the bracket does come away from the wire please keep it safe and bring it with you to your next appointment.
Injuries to the soft tissues, which include the tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips, can result in bleeding. To control the bleeding you can:
Rinse your mouth with a mild salt-water solution. Use a wet piece of gauze or tea bag to apply pressure to the bleeding site. Hold for 15 to 20 minutes. To both control the bleeding and relieve any pain, hold a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes.
If the bleeding will not stop, contact us right away or go to a hospital emergency department. Continue to apply pressure on the bleeding site with the gauze until you can be seen and treated.
Wisdom teeth can become impacted when the jaw is too small to accommodate their growth. This requires dental treatment otherwise impaction may contribute to the wisdom teeth becoming infected.
Wisdom tooth infection occurs when the impacted wisdom tooth causes gum or operculum swelling and inflammation. Bacteria may colonise around the inflamed wisdom tooth leading to infection. If not properly cleaned and removed, trapped food may also cause plaque and bacterial build-up leading to infection.
Patients who attend regular dental check-ups will have their oral condition assessed, so early signs of tooth decay and wisdom teeth infection can be identified in good time. If you are suffering from an infected wisdom tooth, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.
Sandy Lane Dental Practice
Sandy Lane Health Centre
Sandy Lane
Skelmersdale
Lancashire
WN8 8LA
