Christmas and New Years can bring fun, excitement and joy, but often, there’s also additional stress put on the body during celebrations and indulgences. Experiencing severe mouth pain can be distracting, frustrating and debilitating, causing missed experiences and discomfort. But because we are human, and these things can pop up unexpectedly, it’s important to know how to handle dental emergencies:
Some simple steps to follow:
1. Stay calm. Full blown panic will only make things worse. Assess the situation and identify the problem, if you can.
2. Contact your dentist’s office and leave a message, stating the problem. They may be able to prescribe medicine, offer sound advice, make a same day appointment or direct you to a facility that can treat your emergency if they aren’t available.
3. Meanwhile, take some acetaminophen, secure an ice pack to the affected area and gargle with warm salt water to ease the pain. Try to avoid hard or sugary foods that may increase discomfort.
4. If you knock out a tooth or lose a crown or filling, rinse it off and keep it somewhere safe to take with you to the dentist. Even if we’re busy, please call us for information on what to do in an emergency.
Don’t let your oral pain ruin the new year! Feel free to call us for directions and take care of what you can in the meantime. Here’s hoping you have a safe, emergency free 2024.