Essential First Aid Steps When Dealing with Emergency Dental Injuries

When faced with a dental issue, the first person you should contact is your dentist. However, what do you do in case of a deep cheek laceration or excruciating toothache in the middle of the night? When you find yourself in such situations, you need the services of an emergency dentist. However, you can take first aid steps before getting to an emergency dental clinic. 

Gargle Warm Salty Water

The first thing you should do when you encounter a dental emergency, such as a lost tooth or gum injury, is to gargle as much warm salty water as possible. When you lose a tooth or slice your cheek, the fresh wound invites bacteria, increasing the chances of developing a life-threatening infection. One of the worst conditions you can develop is an oral wound since it interferes with your day-to-day life significantly. Most importantly, gargling warm salty water helps remove bacteria and other pathogens from an injury, preventing possible infections.

Control Bleeding

The oral cavity consists of thousands of capillaries that carry blood to and from the mouth. Therefore, when you are involved in an accident and injure the oral soft tissue, such as the cheeks, the tongue, or gums, the chances are high that you will bleed profusely. Notably, some people swallow their blood on their way to an emergency dentist. However, the best thing you can do before reaching an emergency dental clinic is to control the bleeding. It is critical because failure to do so can lead to excess blood loss. You can do it by placing gauze or a piece of clean cloth on a wound and applying pressure. Ensure that your hands are clean to avoid transferring germs and bacteria to a wound to avoid worsening the injury.

Remove Lose Objects

Some dental emergency cases can be so severe that most people prefer not to interfere with a wound. Most dentists don't recommend the approach because you might cause further damage to an already sensitive situation. However, sometimes being proactive can be beneficial, especially when foreign objects are stuck in a wound. For instance, if you fall on your face while skateboarding and wood splinters from your board end up on your lips, make an effort of removing loose fragments. However, if you cannot easily move the splinters from your wound, do not struggle. Please leave it to an emergency dentist to avoid worsening the injury.

Contact an emergency dentist for more information.