Dental emergencies can occur at any time and for a variety of reasons. The Lower Sioux Dental Clinic is prepared and equipped to help you in the case of a dental emergency. Some common dental emergencies include; broken tooth, broken jaw, toothache, abscess/infection, or knocked-out tooth (avulsed tooth). In a dental emergency our goal is to address your pain, minimize the possibility of further or more complicated problems, and provide you with relief and a follow through plan.
In the event of an emergency, it is best to remain calm and contact our office immediately. The sooner that your problem is addressed, the sooner that steps can be taken to resolve it. If it is after hours, or you are unable to reach our clinic – dial 911. Addressing a problem immediately can also help to avoid more complicated and costly treatments in the future.
Avulsed tooth/’knocked-out tooth’
In the event that you have a tooth that is knocked out, the sooner you are able to get dental treatment, the better the prognosis is for the tooth in the long term. If a tooth is knocked-out: keep calm, carefully pick-up and handle the tooth by the crown (the white part of the tooth that sticks out into the mouth), avoid handling the root of the tooth (the part of the tooth that sticks into the bone). If the root is dirty, rinse briefly with water or milk. If possible, re-implant/put the tooth back into its socket – hold it here either manually or by bite with a handkerchief/piece of cloth. If this is not possible, place the tooth in an appropriate holding fluid; milk, a salt water mix that is of about the same salt to water ratio as teardrops or ocean water, or Hanks balanced storage medium (if available). If these are not available, and the patient is sufficiently stable and coordinated, the tooth may be stored in the mouth – usually between the teeth and the cheek. Do not store the tooth in plain water, this is chemically incompatible with the tooth root and may decrease the prognosis of the tooth. Special Note: With young children, elderly, developmentally disabled, persons suffering from trauma or other physically limiting conditions, carefully consider whether or not to re-implant, or transport the tooth in the mouth as this may result in choking hazard.