You’ve spent the past several months planning the perfect holiday season. All the decorations are laid out with care. You’ve been practicing making your signature dish for weeks now. You went out and bought the perfect gifts for every member of your family. But one thing you didn’t plan for was a sudden raging pain in your tooth. What should you do when an emergency strikes while your dentist’s office is closed? Read this guide to handling holiday dental emergencies.
Knocked-Out Tooth
If a tooth becomes dislodged, like when you’re tossing the old pigskin around with your uncle and cousins and you get tackled to the ground, then time is of the essence. You only have about an hour to see a dental professional before the chance of successfully reattaching the tooth decreases significantly. If you call your regular dentist and they are closed for the holidays, you might have to visit your local emergency room.
First, locate the tooth and gently pick it up by the crown, not the pointed root. Do NOT scrub it dry or remove any fragments of tissue. Try and place the tooth back into its socket if you can. If that’s not possible, put it in a container of milk until you can get to a medical professional.
Broken or Chipped Tooth
The rest of these dental emergencies can wait a day or two until your regular dentist is open. If your tooth gets chipped or broken while chowing down on a candy cane or some crunchy holiday cookies, save all the pieces you can and rinse your mouth with saltwater. To relieve bleeding, hold some gauze or cloth to the area for ten minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth to cut down on swelling.
Toothache
Nothing ruins your holiday quite like a sudden toothache. Rinse your mouth and floss around the area to remove any food debris that may be caught between your teeth and causing your pain. If that doesn’t work, take your choice of store-bought pain relievers as directed on the bottle, or apply a cold compress to your cheek.
Lost Crown or Filling
Sticky holiday treats like caramel and taffy can easily yank out crowns and fillings. If your underlying tooth hurts, then apply a dab of clove oil or garlic to the area. Clean off the restoration and apply a little toothpaste, denture adhesive, dental cement, or sugar-free gum to the inside of it before placing it back over the tooth. Remember that this is just a temporary solution and that you should see your dentist once the holidays are over to have them permanently reattach it.
About the Author
Dr. Navkiran Dhillon is a restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentist in Ware, MA. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Boston University, where she graduated at the top of her class. She has spent the last seven years as the proud lead of Dhillon Family and Cosmetic Dentistry. If you call her practice with a dental emergency, her skilled team will talk you through what to do over the phone and get you in for an appointment as soon as possible. If you find yourself experiencing a dental emergency this holiday season, contact Dr. Dhillon’s office at (413) 967-7140.