At Middletown Commons Family Dental in Louisville, KY, we are dedicated to providing our patients with the best care in any dental emergency. Here, we’ll share with you some of the most common issues and explain how to handle these dental emergencies. Be sure to put our number in your phone so you can give us a call in an emergency.

Toothache

The first step to dealing with a toothache is to rinse out your mouth with warm water. Next, if you have any pieces of food or other debris in your mouth or between your teeth, gently floss to dislodge them. Then, if your mouth is swollen or beginning to swell, place a cold compress on your cheek outside of where you feel the pain in your tooth. No matter how bad the pain, do not put aspirin against the aching tooth or the gums nearby. Call us so we can get you in for an appointment as soon as possible.

Object Stuck Between Teeth

If you get something stuck between your teeth, don’t panic! First, try to gently dislodge the object by using floss. If that doesn’t work and you can’t remove the object yourself, give us a call so we can remove it for you. Do not ever use something sharp to try to remove the object.

Lost Filling or Crown

If you lose a filling, try sticking a piece of slightly chewed sugar free gum into the cavity left by the lost filling until we can get you in to the office. If you lose a crown, give us a call. We’ll get you in as soon as possible and will advise you how to protect your tooth in meantime.

Knocked-out Tooth

Your first step when dealing with a knocked out tooth is to find the tooth. But be careful when picking it up because you need to hold the tooth by the crown and not the root. Touching the root could damage the tooth and make it harder for us to save it. Once you have the tooth, rinse it off with water and try to put it back into place without forcing it. If you’re bleeding, place a piece of gauze at the area and apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek to reduce swelling. If you can’t put it back, keep the tooth moist by putting it in a cup of milk. Once the tooth is safe, give us a call so we can get you in immediately. The quicker we see you, the better chance that the tooth can be saved.

Broken or Chipped Tooth

Like with a knocked out tooth, your first move should be to find and save any of the pieces of the tooth that broke off. Rinse your mouth and any of the pieces with water to gently clean them. Then, give us a call so we can try to reattach the pieces.

Call our Louisville office if you are experiencing any of these issues or for more information about how to handle a dental emergency.