Whether it’s a sports injury, a slip and fall, or perhaps a confrontation with a boxing wannabe, you or someone in your company may suffer the bad luck of having a permanent tooth knocked out or loose.
From oral irritations to dental disasters, your dentist is your best source of information on how to best soothe your dental distress.
Mouth sores. Canker sores and cold sores are common, annoying mouth irritations that are often confuse with one another.
The first sign of a cold sore is usually a tingling sensation around the mouth, followed by painful, fluid-filled blisters on the lips and around the mouth. The blisters typically burst and scab over, usually healing in about a week.
Canker sores appear inside the mouth, presenting as small ulcers with white or gray bases and red borders. A bite or burn inside your mouth can trigger a canker sore, as can certain foods.
Burned toungue/ burned palate. The delicate tissues on you tongue or palate can burn easily form too-hot food or drink in your mouth. In these cases, the first thing you’ll want to do is cool the burned area immediately, to not only soothe the burn, but also to make sure the heat loses its power to damage the surrounding cells. The quickest and most effective way to do this is to hold cold water in your mouth, or suck on an ice-cube.
Once the initial burn subsides, allow your injury to heal for a few days by avoiding spicy foods, acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits, irritants like vinegar, and sharp, salty foods like chips.
Knocked-out tooth. Whether it’s a sports injury, a slip and fall, or perhaps a confrontation with a boxing wannabe, you or someone in your company may suffer the bad luck of having a permanent tooth knocked out or loose. If it’s knocked out, the first thing to do is find your tooth and, holding it by the crown, gently rinse off the root of the tooth with clean water. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments – If reconnected immediately, there’s a chance the torn periodontal ligaments can reattach to the gums. Carefully place the tooth back in its socket, and bite down gently on a soft cloth or moistened teabag to keep it in place. If the knocked-out tooth, however, belongs to a child or if the patient is not able to keep the tooth safely in his or her mouth, put the tooth in a cup of milk.
If a tooth is only knocked loose, the immediate procedure is a very similar: simply guide the tooth back into its proper place with your finger and bite down gently.
In all these instances, call our office immediately, or get to an emergency dental clinic within 30 minutes of the incident, in order to have the best chance of saving the tooth.
Please don’t hesitate to call our office for advice on all your dental questions.
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Dr. Librada C. Yamat is a Family Dentist specializing in Cosmetic Dentistry. She has been practicing since 1992 in her Daly City office located at 187 Southgate Ave. (650) 991-2832. She is president of the MCU Dental Alumni Association and former president of the American Federation of Filipino Dental Practitioners.