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Posts for tag: dental injuries
People always wonder when it is appropriate to contact their dentist. To answer this, we have put together the following list to provide some guidelines for you and your family. However, your calls are always welcome! Our goal is simply to give you some clear scenarios that illustrate when you should give us a call or come in to our office.
For Bite Related Problems
- Early or late loss of baby teeth.
- Difficulty in chewing or biting.
- Mouth breathing.
- Finger sucking or other oral habits.
- Crowding, misplaced, crooked or even missing teeth.
- Jaws that shift, jaw joints that “pop” or “click” or are uncomfortable.
- Any change causing speech difficulty.
- Cheek or tongue biting.
- Protruding teeth — large overbite.
- Teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don't meet at all.
- Facial imbalance or asymmetry.
- Grinding or clenching of teeth.
For Injuries And Immediate Care
- Knocked out permanent tooth: Call us immediately. You need to take action within 5 minutes of the injury for best results.
- Injuries to lips, cheeks, tongue or gums that appear to require stitches: Call us for instructions as soon as possible.
- Tooth injury — if a tooth has shifted from its original position: Call us to tell us you are on your way to our office and see us within 6 hours of the injury.
- Chipped or broken tooth that is still in its original position: See us within 12 hours of the injury.
- A knocked out baby tooth: Call us as soon as possible.
- Bleeding without any significant tears in tissue that could require stitches: Call us for instructions.
What To Do Now
If any of the above describe you or another member of your family, then contact us today to discuss your questions or to schedule a consultation. You can also learn more about treating dental injuries by reading the Dear Doctor article, “The Field-Side Guide To Dental Injuries.”
Every parent, caregiver, coach, sports fan and especially injured party dreads the moment when an injury to the mouth occurs during a sporting event. The first thought observers have after looking closely to see if it is their child or someone they know is, “I hope someone knows what to do!” Do you know what to do in case of a dental sports emergency? Test your dental injury IQ with this simple, quick quiz. The answers are listed at the bottom of this article.
Dental Injury IQ
- If a tooth (including its root) is totally knocked out, what can you safely store it in while finding a dentist within 5 minutes of the injury?
- Water or salt water
- Milk (preferably cold)
- Inside the cheek (mouth) of the injured person
- All of the above
- True or False: Immediately following the injury, fresh cold tap water or bottled water is the best way to remove debris from where a tooth was knocked out.
- If a tooth has shifted from its original position following an injury, you should...
- See a dentist within 5 minutes
- See a dentist within 6 hours
- See a dentist within 12 hours
- Only see a dentist if the tooth is not better in a few days
- True or False: You treat a knocked out baby tooth in the same manner as you do a permanent tooth.
- The most important thing to do to save a tooth that has been completely knocked out of the mouth is toâ¦
- See a dentist as soon as possible
- Replant the tooth within 5 minutes
- Stop the bleeding before re-planting the tooth
- Rinse the tooth with fresh, clean water
The Answers
1) d = all of the above, 2) true, 3) b = see a dentist within 6 hours, 4) false – baby teeth are typically not replanted, 5) b = replant the tooth within 5 minutes
Want To Learn More?
Contact us today to discuss your questions or to schedule an appointment. You can also learn more about treating dental injuries when you read the Dear Doctor article, “The Field-Side Guide To Dental Injuries.” Or, you can download a FREE, pocket-sized guide for managing dental injuries.
