When something drastic happens to a tooth or several teeth unexpectedly, you need reliable ways of dealing with the problem. In this type of situation, you need to know your options of temporarily handling the problem until you can get to a dentist.

Broken Tooth

When a tooth breaks, you have a few options for handling the situation. You first want to stop any bleeding and then you need to call the dentist. Unfortunately, there is no way to fix a broken tooth on your own, but a dentist can give you several options for fixing the damage.

For minor chips or breaks, the dentist can fill in the gap with a composite bonding material. This material is similar to the white fillings many dentists use when repairing a cavity. The dentist applies the material to the tooth, reshapes it and then sands down the edges so the newer material is harder to see.

When the broken portion is bigger, you may require a cap or crown to cover the exposed area. With this option, the dentist makes a mold of your teeth and then uses this to recreate the broken portion out of a resin or porcelain. Then, the dentist glues the piece onto your tooth, which helps hide the damage and protects the interior portion of the tooth.

Lost Filling

Another common emergency is a dental filling falling out. Your best repair method will always be your dentist. However, when you cannot get in to see your dentist immediately, you need to know how to protect your tooth temporarily.

One temporary fix is to find a filling replacement kit at your local pharmacy. Typically, the kit has several materials that you combine and then place the putty-like material over the hole. The idea is to seal off the area so bacteria, food and germs do not make the problem worse. In most cases, this fix will hold long enough for you to get to the dentist and you may prevent further damage to the tooth.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Losing an adult tooth is not as common, but it can happen. If the tooth comes out clean, which means the root system did not break inside the gum line; the dentist may be able to put it back into the socket. If you are able to get into see a dentist, you want to keep the tooth in some milk or in your mouth next to your cheek to keep it moist.

However, it is important to note that the tooth can only stay out of your mouth for 30 minutes, though some dentists have been able to put the tooth back in up to an hour after it came out. If it is not possible to put the tooth back in, you will need to ask your dentist about other ways of replacing the tooth.

Dental emergencies happen and you need to know what you can do to fix the problem. By having this information, you be able to handle the situation in the correct fashion.

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