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Know What to Do in Dental Emergencies

Know What to Do in Dental Emergencies

by | Jan 14, 2020 | Blog

dental emergencies
It’s good to know in advance where to go and what to do in the event of dental emergencies, so you are prepared.

There can be a variety of types of dental emergencies and some are more urgent than others. Some of the most common dental emergencies include knocked out teeth, a cracked tooth, toothaches, displaced filling or crown, bitten tongue or lip, something stuck in the mouth and facial trauma or injuries. Here are some tips to keep in mind if you experience any of these issues.

Where to go

In all dental emergencies it is best to see your dentist or an oral surgeon as soon as possible. Most dentists and oral surgeons have someone on-call for emergencies, so keep their emergency number on-hand or call their office and it will likely provide you with a number to call in case of an after-hours emergency. Seeing your dentist will provide you with a more immediate solution–saving you time and money over a visit to the emergency room.

(If you are on vacation or out of town, it is still best to contact a local dentist for your dental emergency. A quick Google search should help you find one.)

What to do

Here are a few tips on what to do in the most common dental emergencies until you can get to a dentist or oral surgeon:

  • For a knocked-out permanent or adult tooth, if possible, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root until you can get to the dentist. If that is not possible, place the tooth in between your cheek and gums or put it in salt water or milk until you can get to the dentist/oral surgeon. Never attempt to wipe the tooth off because the attached remnants of the ligament holding the tooth in the jaw are vital to the successful replanting of the tooth. Time is of the essence with this situation, so the sooner the tooth is re-inserted into the dental socket, the better chance it will survive.
  • For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse the mouth with warm water to clean the area. Put a cold compress on the face as needed to keep any swelling down.
  • For a toothache, rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently floss to remove any food caught between the teeth that may be causing the pain. Take a pain reliever to help with the pain until you can see a professional.
  • If a filling or crown breaks or falls off you can likely wait a few days to have it fixed or replaced, but call your dentist to let them know the situation and decide.
  • For a bitten tongue or lip, clean the area gently with water and apply a cold compress. If the bite is severe, stitches may be necessary and you will want to get to the dentist right away.
  • If an object is stuck in your or your child’s teeth, you can try to gently remove it with floss, but do not try to remove it with sharp or pointed instruments.
  • For facial trauma or injury it may be necessary to go to the Emergency Room depending on the severity and if there are any other bodily injuries. You may consider calling your dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon to meet you there.

The oral and maxillofacial surgeons at Bay Oral Surgery & Implant Center in Green Bay, Marinette and Niagara, Wisconsin are uniquely qualified to manage and treat various forms of facial trauma and injuries. They are on staff at local hospitals and provide emergency room coverage for facial injuries, which include facial lacerations, intra oral lacerations, knocked out teeth, fractured facial bones (cheek, nose and eye socket), and fractured jaws (upper and lower).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oral Pathology: What You Need to Know

Oral Pathology: What You Need to Know

by | Sep 24, 2019 | Blog

Oral pathology is the diagnosis and study of the causes and effects of diseases affecting the mouth, jaw and face. Many patients visit an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for evaluation and treatment of oral pathology. Generally, these patients are first evaluated by their dental provider who refers them to an oral surgeon for further evaluation and treatment. The scope of oral pathology is extremely vast and oral pathologists, in addition to the dental provider and the oral surgeon, are needed for complete diagnosis, management, and treatment of lesions.

If a patient discovers a lesion such as an ulcer or a bump in the oral cavity, then addressing this lesion is a must.

When a patient presents to the oral surgeon, a thorough review of the patient’s history of the lesion, medical history, medications and supplements, social history, and allergies are reviewed very carefully. After that, the patient is evaluated clinically. The evaluation includes a complete head and neck examination with an oral examination and, in many cases, the use of photography to keep accurate records of the lesion.

Based on the assessment of the patient, the oral surgeon will decide if the lesion requires monitoring, medical management, or performing a biopsy for histopathological evaluation. The specimen obtained in a biopsy is sent to a laboratory where a pathologist will perform a microscopic evaluation and provide a written report that includes the diagnosis. Based on the diagnosis, the oral surgeon will devise a specific treatment for the patient.

A vast majority of oral pathologies are benign and may require simple intervention, medical management and continued monitoring by the dental provider.

One of the most common questions an oral surgeon is asked when evaluating a patient is regarding potential malignancies. Oral cancer, which is the most serious diagnosis in the oral cavity and the most concerning diagnosis for patients, is luckily very rare. Some of the risk factors for oral cancer are smoking, chewing tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, and certain viral infections.

Although oral cancer is a serious diagnosis, it can be managed with a variety of surgical and non-surgical modalities. Early diagnosis and treatment will significantly improve the prognosis.