Recovering From Dental Trauma

Picture this scenario.

You’re out with family or friends at a local park, enjoying the sun and warm weather. You’re playing a casual game of basketball, soccer, or maybe flag football. Everyone is having a blast and the game is going great when suddenly you and another person collide. Instantly you fall back on the ground, feeling dazed and winded.

You instinctively reach up to touch your face and in a split second realize something is wrong. As soon as you go to speak and your tongue moves, you realize your mouth is injured… and even worse, you can tell that one of your teeth is loose or has come out of its socket.

You instantly feel panic and dread with thoughts of, “I’m going to lose my tooth” or “I’ve ruined my smile” flooding your mind. Not only is your mouth in pain, but you’re also emotionally charged and overwhelmed.

Dental emergencies, like the example above, happens much more often than you might think. Contact sports, vehicle collisions, falls, impacts to the face, and even freak accidents like slipping on an ice cube in your kitchen can all lead to dental emergencies.

Thankfully, dentists like Dr. Bentz can help you recover and heal from dental trauma—and come out on top with a full, beautiful smile. Let’s dive deeper into the above scenario to learn what to do in an emergency and how Dr. Bentz works his magic to help patients restore their smiles.

What to Do During Dental Emergencies

As soon as you realize you’ve hurt your mouth or lost a tooth, take a deep breath to collect yourself, and then take swift action. In cases of dental trauma involving a lost tooth or a tooth that’s become dislodged, time is of the essence. The sooner you can get to a dentist, the better the chances of saving your natural tooth.

If You’ve Lost a Tooth

A knocked-out tooth is an extremely serious situation and you must act quickly.

If your tooth was ejected from your mouth or you reflexively spit it out, pick it up carefully by the crown without touching the roots. If the tooth is clean (i.e. you spit it into your hand), you can attempt to replace the tooth in the socket. However, if there is any resistance, stop. Instead, place the tooth in a clean container with cold milk, cold water, or even spit.

It’s vital to keep the tooth moist at all times and get to an emergency dentist right away.

If You’re Bleeding Orally

If you’re bleeding from the gums after damaging or losing a tooth, or you’ve badly bitten your tongue, you’ll need to get the bleeding under control.

Use gauze from a first aid kit or a clean cloth to put pressure on the area that’s bleeding. Gently biting down on a folded cloth or rolled up gauze is also useful for keeping a dislodged or knocked-out tooth in place in the socket.

If You’ve Dislodged a Tooth

Sometimes a tooth is hit hard enough to loosen it, but not enough to actually cause it to come out.

In this situation, you want to be very careful to not disturb the tooth if at all possible. Try to keep your mouth closed or, if the tooth is very wiggly, bite down very, very gently on a piece of gauze or clean cloth to keep the tooth in place.

If You’ve Broken a Tooth

Teeth can easily crack, chip, or break when slammed together in an accident or fall. While a broken or cracked tooth isn’t typically as serious of a situation as a knocked-out tooth, it does still require urgent care to repair the damage, stop any infection from occurring, and save the tooth.

How Dr. Bentz Restores Damaged Smiles

Dr. Bentz’s practice is where you’ll want to visit if you’ve experienced a dental emergency or traumatic dental injury in the East Norriton, PA, area.

We provide emergency dental care for current and new patients who’ve experienced:

  • Knocked-out or dislodged teeth.
  • Broken or cracked teeth.
  • A foreign object stuck between teeth.
  • Severe toothache.

The first thing Dr. Bentz will do after welcoming you into his office is to get any pain or bleeding under control and thoroughly examine your smile to evaluate what damage might have occurred. With a very gentle touch he’ll numb the area and can also offer light sedation, like nitrous oxide, if you’re feeling nervous or simply need help relaxing.

After Dr. Bentz has looked at your smile, you’ll discuss which treatment options would be best to help you make a full recovery. Dr. Bentz often suggests dental implants to replace missing teeth that need to be extracted or cannot be replaced. If your tooth can be saved, you may need a dental crown for added support or cosmetic care.

It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed and emotionally drained after experiencing a dental emergency, and you may not feel ready to make a decision about treatment during your emergency appointment. Dr. Bentz wants every patient to know that there is never pressure to pursue treatment until you feel confident in your decision. In this case, Dr. Bentz will provide urgent care to ensure you’re comfortable and recommend you come back the next day or, if safe, a few days later when you’ve had time to consider what is best for your smile.

From there, you can return for another appointment to review treatment options with Dr. Bentz, discuss their pros and cons, ask questions, and make a game plan for restoring your smile.

If you’re currently experiencing a dental emergency, call our office immediately.

You can get in touch with our dental emergencies line by calling our regular office number and following the prompts. Even during non-business hours, your call will be forwarded to an on-call staff member to help. We hope you never have to experience a dental emergency, but we will always be there to help you in the event that you or a loved one need restorative care.

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2601 Dekalb Pike
East Norriton, PA 19401

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Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
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610-795-9101

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