Dental Emergencies

I cannot possibly talk about all possible dental emergencies, However with Halloween being here I want to talk about broken teeth.

It seems that this time of the year with popcorn, corn nuts, caramels and the like. It is common to see broken teeth. With adults, it's normally a back tooth which has an old filling in it. Usually a cusp or support area of the tooth breaks off leaking a sharp edge. In children it tends to be a baby tooth which is weak because it's getting ready to fall out... With a child you want to keep them comfortable. Tylenol and orajel will help until you can have dentist look at it.

Adults tend to have more challenges. The sharp edges of a fractured tooth will drive you crazy because your tongue won't leave it alone. One option is to go to the pharmacy and see if they have any temporary material or soft dental wax. This will only work if there's enough tooth to hold onto the material. The other option is to use a file, like an Emory board to smooth the sharp edge. Take analgesics for pain, and no whiskey is not an analgesic! Then contact your dentist ASAP.

Hope everyone has a safe Halloween.

Dr. G