There’s never a convenient time for a dental emergency. This often occurs when you least expect it, like maybe you’re enjoying some popcorn while watching a movie, and your kid takes a fall during a game of soccer on Saturday morning.

In such a case, you are led to search deligently for a “dentist near me” in order to check who is open. In such a case, if you happen to reside in our area, then we at iSmile Dental hope you consider giving a call. We understand how frightening such moments must be.

“But even after you’ve called us and we’ve scheduled you to come in, then there is that lag time between the accident and finally sitting in our chair.” That hour or two may seem like an eternity as patients often ask us, “What do I do now?”

Here is a quick guide on how to deal with the most common dental emergencies before you visit your Burnaby dentist.

1. The Knocked-Out Tooth (Avulsed)

This one scares people the most. If your permanent tooth is knocked out and we can’t find it, or if it gets knocked out and goes down the gum line and we can’t find it, time becomes the most important factor. You have a short window of time in which we may be able to save the tooth.

Breathe deeply. Locate the tooth. As you grasp the tooth, make sure to grasp only the part that is visible or the crown when smiling. Avoid the root as much as possible. This is because the root has fibers that are vital for the healing process; thus, avoid damaging them.

If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it with water. Do not use soap on the tooth. If possible, attempt to place the tooth back into its socket from which it was misplaced. Have the person gently bite down on a tissue or cloth to keep it in place.

If you can’t get it back in, it’s all right. The next best thing is to tuck it in inside the mouth to keep it moistened by saliva. If it’s a kid and you think he or she is going to swallow it, store the tooth in a cup of milk. Yes, Cow’s Milk is always preferable to water since it will keep the cells on the root alive longer.

Next, come to our office at once.

2. “The Really Bad Toothache”

Sometimes a medical emergency isn’t an accident, it’s just the pain that suddenly came out of nowhere. Or what may have been a dull ache in your body for a week suddenly turning into a pounding nightmare in the middle of the night at 2:00 AM.

In the first instance, try to rinse your mouth with warm water. That helps to clean the area. Occasionally, a toothache can actually result from food that becomes lodged between your teeth and presses against the gum tissue. Take some dental floss and clean the area around the tooth that hurts. More often than not, a piece of popcorn hull or meat is the offending article.

If there is swelling, apply an ice compress on the outer side of your cheek. You should not apply any heat as this can sometimes spread an infection that may be present.

Important: Please DO NOT put aspirin or pain medication on the gum or tooth. We hear about this one too much, but it is not a good practice. It is too caustic. Taking aspirin can cause a white burn on your gum that stings more than a toothache. Take Tylenol or Advil with water, according to the bottle.

3. Chipped or Broken Tooth

If you bit down hard on something and heard “crack,” perhaps you broke the tooth. Maybe it does not even hurt. Perhaps now is the time to wait a couple of weeks before doing anything. However, it would be a good idea to see your dentist in Burnaby soon. The tooth would now be brittle and break more easily because you would still be chewing there.

If it does hurt or it’s a sharp break, it’s an emergency.

Identify if you have the broken part of your tooth and preserve it by keeping it wet with milk or saliva, same as with a broken tooth. Rinse your mouth with warm water. In case the broken part of your tooth irritates your tongue or your cheek because of the corner of your broken tooth, you can cover it with sugar-free gum or dental wax if you have one at home in your medications.

Turn on your vehicle and start driving to iSmile Dental to seek immediate attention with your broken tooth.

4. Lost Filling or Crown

It is a very strange experience when the crown comes off or the filling goes out. Your tongue goes right to the gap, and it feels massive.

If a crown comes off, hold on to it! We can try to cement it back. Look inside to see if some of your tooth is caught inside. If the tooth that’s exposed is sensitive to air or cold water, just put a dab of clove oil on it (available at an pharmacy).

If you cannot get to the dentist right away, you can actually take a small amount of toothpaste or denture adhesive and temporarily glue the crown back onto the tooth, okay? That is only going to be until you don’t go out there with the tooth missing, but don’t chew on that side until we get it taken care of properly.

5. Bitten Tongue or Lip

These will bleed quite a bit. There is a lot of blood flow in the mouth, which is great for healing but terrible for the shock value seeing the blood in the sink when it all comes out.

If you bite your tongue or lip bad, then wash the area gently with water. Use a clean cloth and press on the area to stop the blood flow. Keep pressing on it for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Do not check on it every 30 seconds; just press on it.

If it is still hemorrhaging seriously after 15 minutes, or you think it might be very deep, you may have to head to the hospital’s ER instead of the dental office, as you may require stitches. However, for a minor injury to the mouth’s tissue, we’re here to help you determine the extent of the injury.

How To Avoid Emergencies We enjoy seeing our patients, but we would rather see you for your check-ups, not because you are in pain. Of course, while you can’t avoid all accidents, here are some things that will help. “If you are an athlete who plays any type of contact sport—hockey, soccer, basketball, and so on—PLEASE WEAR A MOUTH GUARD. We can make you a mouth guard at iSmile Dental that will fit you far better than any mouth guard you can boil at home. It is the best insurance you can buy to protect your smile.” Moreover, avoid using your teeth as handy spiritual carpenters. We see so many people with chipped teeth due to using them to open bags of peanuts or cloth tags. Use scissors instead. Your teeth are strong, but china plates are stronger. Your teeth are supposed to last long, but china plates will not survive much more. We Are Here to Help If you’re reading this because you’re in pain now, please give us a call. Instead of googling “remedies” for too long, because the truth of the matter is that dental problems won’t fix themselves – they only get worse and more expensive. At iSmile Dental, we are concerned about our community. Whether you are one of our long-time patients or if you just searched “dentist near me” to find us today, we want to put an end to your pain.

Give our office a call, and we’ll get that emergency taken care of.