The last thing anyone ever wants to deal with is an emergency. Dental emergencies, like any type of unexpected issue, can be scary, painful, and even confusing as to how to handle them. At our Asheville dental office, we want to help our patients and neighbors understand what to do if your tooth gets knocked out or falls out.

Common Dental Emergencies & What to Do

Before we talk about what you can do at home in case of a dental emergency, there’s one thing you should always do first. If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, call your Asheville dentist as soon as you can.

If you’re unable to see your dentist or go to the emergency room right away, there are some things you can do to help alleviate problems that often accompany a dental emergency such as a missing tooth.

Knocked Out Tooth

A knocked out tooth has a higher chance of being saved if it’s put back into the socket within an hour, so it’s important to act as quickly as you can. After you find the tooth, only touch the crown (the white part). Contact with the roots can cause even more damage. Try putting it back into the socket without using too much force. If you can’t, put the tooth in milk or store it under your tongue with some spit and get to a dentist.

Lost Filling

Losing a filling can be painful and the best thing you can do is get something into the hole. Head to a drugstore to buy over-the-counter dental cement and pack the area where the filling used to be. If you can’t find dental cement, sugarless gum is another temporary option. Whatever you do, don’t use anything with sugar, it’ll make the pain worse.

Chipped or Broken Tooth

Find any piece of the tooth that you can and rinse them with water. You should also give your mouth a good rinse as well. Stop any bleeding by applying pressure with a piece of gauze and use a cold compress to reduce pain.

Avoid a Problem

The best way to avoid a problem is to prevent a problem. How? We’re glad you asked! First, make sure you’re maintaining regular visits with your dentist is Asheville. When you come to see us for regular appointments, we’re able to use our knowledge and state-of-the-art technology to look over your entire mouth to spot any changes to your oral health. We want to protect and preserve as many of your natural teeth as we can! Also, be careful with activities or foods that can damage your smile such as popcorn, sticky foods, and hard, crunchy snacks. Avoiding them can reduce your risk of a dental problem