Swelling in or around the mouth is probably the most serious condition that requires attention from our very own emergency dentist at Chavan Hospital, especially if it is accompanied by fever and/or trouble swallowing or breathing. Swelling can be caused by an infection, a cyst, an injury, blocked salivary glands or even cancer. Cold compress can often help you feel more comfortable until you get to our office.

Save any pieces of the broken tooth and rinse your mouth with warm water. If you have a swelling, apply a cold compress to the area to decrease the swelling and pain until you speak to us or visit us. If the fragment of the broken tooth is kept properly intact, then we can try fixing the same piece back. Or else we may do a tooth coloured restoration to cover for the lost part. If the fracture is deep, then we may first perform a root canal treatment to treat any possible infection followed by a tooth coloured cap.

Gently rinse off the knocked out tooth without removing any attached tissue. If possible, hold the tooth in place in the tooth socket. Otherwise, put the tooth in a glass of milk at room temperature and get to us right away. The first 20 to 40 minutes are the most critical in such a situation. We may have a chance to re-implant the same tooth if brought to us at the earliest. Otherwise, replacement of the tooth by an implant or a bridge would be the only remaining option.

Carefully try to remove the object with dental floss. (Don’t try using a sharp instrument instead!) If you are unable to dislodge the object with dental floss, contact us immediately. There might be some gap between the teeth or a cavity in the tooth. If it’s not painful, then it may be treated with a simple filling.

For toothache relief rinse your mouth with warm water. Then use dental floss to make sure there isn’t any food or other debris causing the pain. If the pain persists, call us as soon as possible. Until then for the tooth pain relief you may take an over-the-counter painkiller till the time you visit us.

For a broken or lost filling, as a temporary measure, stick a piece of sugarless gum into the cavity (sugar-filled gum will cause pain) and visit us as soon as possible. If a crown or veneer has fallen off, take an appointment with us immediately. If you can’t visit us right away, then you may try to slip the crown back over the tooth. Before doing so, you may try coating the inner surface of the crown with a toothpaste or denture adhesive. Never ever use superglue. If the tooth is causing pain, use a cotton swab to apply a little clove oil that can be purchased at any local drug store on to the sensitive area. You can’t do much on your own when any such restoration falls off, apart from seeing us at the earliest.

If a wire breaks or sticks out of a bracket or band and is poking your cheek, tongue, or gum, try using the eraser end of a pencil to push the wire into a more comfortable position. If you can’t reposition the wire, cover the end with orthodontic wax, or a small cotton ball, or a piece of sugar free chewing gum until you can get to our office.

If you notice any pimple like swelling on your gums, rinse your mouth with salt water and immediately contact our office or Dr. Priyank directly. Dental abscesses should be taken seriously because they can lead to more severe infections if not treated promptly.

If any ulcer is bothering you while eating or is generally painful, you may apply any over-the-counter local anaesthetic gel over it before your meals to relieve you of the discomfort. You may also take a painkiller. Ulcers generally heal on their own, but if any ulcer is too painful or has stayed for more than a week, then contact Chavan Hospital immediately to get it checked and treated.
Pain is your body’s signal that something is wrong. It also means it’s time to seek treatment for something you might have been putting off for a while.