Dental Emergencies: What to Do

How to deal with dental problems including partially dislodged teeth, 

lost fillings, and chipped teeth.

Any injury to the teeth or gums can be potentially serious. 

Ignoring a dental problem can lead to delays in treatment, 

which can increase the risk of permanent damage as well as the need 

for more extensive and expensive treatment down the road.

Toothaches

First, thoroughly rinse your mouth with warm water. 

Use dental floss to remove any lodged food. 

If your mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress 

to the outside of your mouth or cheek.

 If you feel too much pain you may take painkillers a

nd see your dentist as soon as possible.

Chipped or broken teeth

Save any pieces. 

Rinse the mouth using warm water, rinse any broken pieces. 

If there’s bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area 

for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. 

Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, 

cheek or lip near the broken/chipped tooth 

to keep any swelling down and relieve pain. 

See your dentist as soon as possible.

Knocked out tooth

Retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown 

(the part that is usually exposed in the mouth), 

and rinse off the tooth root with water if it’s dirty. 

Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. 

If possible, try to put the tooth back in place. 

Make sure it’s facing the right way. 

Never force it into the socket. 

If it’s not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, 

put the tooth in a small container of milk 

(or cup of water that contains a pinch of table salt, if milk is not available) 

or a product containing cell growth medium, 

such as Save-a-Tooth. In all cases, see your dentist as quickly as possible. 

Knocked out teeth with the highest chances 

of being saved are those seen by the dentist 

and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out.

Extruded (partially dislodged) tooth

See your dentist right away. 

Until you reach your dental clinic, 

to relieve pain, apply a cold compress 

to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area.

 Take an over-the-counter analgesic (such as Tylenol® or Advil®) if needed.

Lost filling & crown

If the crown falls off, make an appointment to see your dentist 

as soon as possible and bring the crown with you. 

Abscess

Abscesses are infections that occur around the root of a tooth 

or in the space between the teeth and gums. 

Abscesses are a serious condition 

that can damage tissue and surrounding teeth, 

with the infection possibly spreading 

to other parts of the body if left untreated.

Because of the serious oral health and general health problems 

that can result from an abscess, 

see your dentist as soon as possible if you discover 

a pimple-like swelling on your gum that usually is painful. 

In the meantime, to ease the pain and draw 

the pus toward the surface,

 try rinsing your mouth with a mild salt-water solution

 (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of water) several times a day. 

Soft-tissue injuries

Injuries to the soft tissues, which include the tongue, 

cheeks, gums and lips, can result in bleeding. 

To control the bleeding, here’s what to do:

1. Rinse your mouth with a mild salt-water solution.

2. Use a moistened piece of gauze or tea bag to apply pressure to the bleeding site. 

Hold in place for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. To both control bleeding and relieve pain, 

hold a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek 

in the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, see your dentist right away or 

go to a hospital emergency room. 

Continue to apply pressure on the bleeding site 

with the gauze until you can be seen and treated. 

Please contact S-PLANT Dental Hospital when and where a dental emergency occurs! 

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