Are you prepared if a dental emergency were to happen to you or your loved ones? Check out these 4 ways to prepare for a dental emergency before it occurs.
Dental accidents tend to happen when we least expect it so it’s best to prepare now. When a dental incident occurs, you should call us immediately and make your way to our office or an emergency room if we are closed. However, it’s good to have some knowledge about handling common dental ailments until you can receive emergency care. There is a plethora of information and tips to be found online and by talking with our expert Las Cruces dental team.
Be sure you have some very useful tools in your kitchen to handle a dental emergency:
Salt & Warm Water
Salt water rinses act as a sterilizing agent that are great for toothaches. Moreover, if you have a chipped or fractured tooth, you can clean the area to help prevent infection.
Ice Cubes
If your freezer doesn’t have an automatic ice dispenser, freeze water in ice cube trays so you’ll have easy access to ice cubes for a cold compress. Cold compresses help bring down swelling from a blow to the face or a cracked or fractured tooth.
Milk
Always have cow’s milk in your fridge in case you get your tooth knocked-out. Handle it only by its crown (chewing surface) and immediately place it in a plastic bag, cup, or container full of milk to preserve it until you get to our office. It can be kept temporarily moist and strong by the milk, but it will need to be reinserted within 30-60 minutes.
Many people have rainy day or travel funds, but what about an emergency dental fund? Dental issues can become rather costly. It might be a good idea to start setting aside a little bit of money each month for your teeth, just in case!
We recommend adding some dental items to your first aid kit, such as:
- Gloves (be sure to buy latex-free if you or your family members are allergic to latex)
- Floss or a water flosser to dislodge food particles causing tooth pain
- An alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash for rinsing and cleaning out your mouth
- A special tooth preservation kit for knocked-out teeth
- Plenty of non-woven gauze to manage any oral bleeding
- Dental adhesive or a tube of toothpaste in case a filling or crown falls out
We Will Promptly Care for Your Dental Emergency
Your safety and comfort is important to our Las Cruces Dental Solutions team so our office offers same-day emergency care and is conveniently open late into the evening. Our hours are:
- Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm
We offer same-day care for dental emergencies.
