If you are heading out of town during Spring Break, be sure to take extra special care of your teeth!
Many families seek out big adventures, and who knows what can happen during those!
Preventative dental emergency measures you can:
- Visit the dentist before your big trip. Contact us to schedule your dentist appointment.
- If you are traveling to a lesser-developed country, a Hepatitis B immunization is a good step to take in case a dental emergency arises and the local dentist is not vaccinated (OSAP suggestion).
- Avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels, and hard candy. Don’t use your teeth to open packages.
Here’s what to do in case of a dental emergency:
1) Toothache? First, floss to make sure a piece of food isn’t irritating your tooth. If the ache continues after a few days, seek out a dentist.
2) Broken/Chipped/Cracked Tooth? Rinse your mouth out with water. Put pressure on the area with something cold to keep swelling to a minimum. Call us at 804.562.2667 to schedule an appointment upon your return! If it feels urgent, don’t wait. Head to the emergency room as soon as possible.
3) Knocked Out Tooth? Retrieve the tooth and hold it by the crown (top of the tooth). Rinse the tooth if it’s dirty, but try not to scrub in case there is attached tissue. Put the tooth in a small container of milk or lightly salted water. Contact a local dentist as soon as possible, as knocked out teeth have a higher chance of being saved within 1 hour of the accident.
My son had a tooth knocked out, and we’re not sure what to do. It makes sense that we would want to go to a dentist as soon as possible! I’ll make sure that we bring the tooth that he lost.