Do you ever wish you could turn back the clock, and NOT do something? If you happen to be caught up in a dental emergency, you may be wishing you could go back to the moments before you bit into the pistachio shell, swam into that wall, tried and failed to catch the ball, or chose not to wear your mouthguard while playing football. While the Meriden Dental Group doesn’t have the power to turn back time or foresee your dental disasters, we can help you stay calm in your time of need, and prepare for the worst. Next time you or a loved one experience a dental emergency, call our Meriden, CT practice right away. We try to see emergency cases on the same day we’re contacted.
Emergency Help from the Family Dentist Meriden, CT Relies On
When it comes to dental emergencies as well as almost any other kind of emergency, a few basic first aid skills will serve you well. For dental emergencies, we recommend keeping the 3 “C’s” in mind: clean, clot, cold.
- Clean – Injuries almost always have a risk of infection. That’s why it’s essential that you clean debris from the affected area quickly, using warm water or warm salt water to clean the area around your injury. If you’ve lost or broken a tooth, find the missing pieces and clean them off with warm water as well. Always handle dislodged teeth by the cap careful to avoid touching the root of your tooth. If you can replace a missing tooth or piece of tooth in the socket it came from, that would be the safest way to transport your tooth to our office. If you’re unable to replace the tooth in its socket, store it in glass of whole milk to keep it clean and moist until we can see you.
- Clot – Injuries to the face, lips, and gums bleed more heavily than those that occur other places on the body because there are numerous closely spaced capillaries very near to the skin’s surface. Don’t panic if an injury to your face or mouth bleeds very heavily. Clean the wound with warm water, and apply gentle pressure with a cool, damp, sterile compress. If bleeding doesn’t stop within 15 minutes, you may need stiches. Call our office immediately or proceed to the nearest emergency room.
- Cold – Keeping an injury cold can help slow blood flow, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. For cuts, bruises, or infections, apply an ice pack wrapped in a clean cloth to the face in the area closest to the painful area (i.e. cheek for injury near molars, or jaw for TMJ related pain). You can also use an ice cube to slow or stop excessive bleeding that was not controlled with a cool compress alone.
Call Your 06450 Dentist
We can’t undo the pain of a dental emergency, but we can undo the damage. Next time dental disaster strikes, stay calm and call the friendly Meriden Dental Group team. We’re always here to help our patients in their time of need. Let us worry about your smile repair, and remember, there’s no damage we can’t restore to natural perfection. Our Meriden, CT office accepts patients from nearby Southington, Cheshire, Wallingford, and Middletown.