As a young mother, I was reasonably ignorant when raising my firstborn. My biggest regret is that I didn't help her take better care of her teeth. Like many people, I didn't realise the importance of baby teeth, resulting in long-term dental problems. Recently, my daughter got married and some of my tears were for the beautiful, glistening smile she presented to the cameras. Ever since I realised the dental damage I had caused, I had been saving for my daughter to have cosmetic dentistry. The results are remarkable. During the course of this journey, I have learnt a lot about caring for children's teeth and corrective procedures that can be undertaken when issues arise. I am sure many of you would be interested in the latest knowledge and techniques that are available to prevent and repair dental complications. I'm Margret Devlin - thanks for visiting.
Dental crowns can last a lifetime, but it is also possible to break one by biting down too hard while eating. If you find yourself in this situation, then there are several steps you should take to maximise the chance of saving both the dental crown and the tooth it was protecting.
1. Keep the Crown
If you feel a crown break or come loose in your mouth, the first thing you should do is to spit it out into a tissue. Swallowing the crown does not usually cause any serious harm to the body, but it means that an emergency dentist cannot reattach it, so it is best avoided if possible. Rinse the crown off and put it in a safe place, such as inside a plastic box, clean jar, or tub.
2. Stop the Bleeding
When you break a dental crown, it is common to have bleeding, which could result from the sharp edges of the broken crown scraping against the gums, cheeks, or tongue. Rinse your mouth with water to get rid of traces of food and blood and then press gauze or clean cotton against the bleeding part of your mouth until the bleeding stops.
3. Call an Emergency Dentist
It is important to contact a dentist as soon as possible after you lose or break a crown. Explain the situation and let the dentist know if you still have the crown, whether intact or broken into pieces. The dentist will let you know when to come in for an appointment to repair, reattach, or replace the dental crown.
4. Use Pain Medication Wisely
Losing a dental crown can cause severe toothache, so you might want to take pain medication so that you can be more comfortable while you wait for your dental appointment. Paracetamol is a good choice of medication to take for dental pain for most people. Do not take aspirin, which can increase bleeding.
5. Use an Ice Pack
Another way to relieve dental pain is to press an ice pack against the side of your face where the injury occurred. If you don't have an ice pack, a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth is a good alternative. Just remember not to apply ice directly to your skin, as the direct application of extreme cold can cause skin damage. Keep the ice pack in place for as long as you need pain relief, removing it regularly to check that the skin underneath has not experienced any damage as a result of the cold.
Share12 August 2021
