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new westminster dental emergency

New Westminster Dentist Addresses Dental Emergencies

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We’ve all been there.

A toothache that wakes you up in the middle of the night. The sudden accident that knocks out a tooth. The crunchy snack that chips a tooth or breaks a filling. Well, maybe we haven’t all experienced accidentally losing a tooth, but we all know it can happen easily and without warning.
Any of these can mean pain, or difficulty with normal activities like eating, drinking, sleeping, even breathing. But, what else do dental emergencies have in common?

Anxiety, worry, concern. It’s normal. Many people don’t know what to do when a dental emergency happens.

  1. Should you rush to the hospital?
  2. Can a lost tooth be saved?
  3. Is it okay to take painkillers?
  4. Is there anything you can or should do while waiting for treatment?

So many questions – but in an emergency, you should know that the first thing you should do is call a dentist. If you don’t have one, please call Sapperton Dental in New Westminster at: (604) 544 0894.

Here are some tips for common dental emergencies:

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  1. For a knocked-out permanent or adult tooth, keep it moist at all times. If you can, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If that’s not possible, place it in between your cheek and gums, in milk, or use a tooth preservation product that has the CDA Seal of Acceptance. Then, get to Sapperton Dental Office in New Westminster, BC right away.
  2. For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse the mouth with warm water to clean the area. Put cold compresses on the face to keep any swelling down.
  3. If you bite your tongue or lip, clean the area gently with water and apply a cold compress.
  4. For toothaches, rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between the teeth. Do not put aspirin on the aching tooth or gum tissues.
  5. For objects stuck in the mouth, try to gently remove with floss but do not try to remove it with sharp or pointed instruments.

When you have a dental emergency, it’s important to visit our New Westminster Dental Office on East Columbia Street or an emergency room as soon as possible.

Here are some simple precautions you can take to avoid accident and injury to the teeth:

  • Wear a mouthguard when participating in sports or recreational activities.
  • Avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels and hard candy, all of which can crack a tooth.
  • Use scissors, NEVER your teeth, to cut things.

At Sapperton Dental Clinic, our New Westminster Dentists reserve time in their daily schedules for emergency patients. Call our New Westminster Dental Office at (604) 544 0894 and provide as much detail as possible about your dental emergency.