PUBLIC
HOLIDAY DENTIST
What
to do in a dental emergency on a Public Holiday
Don't
Panic. Stay calm and deal with the problem!If you have a
dental emergency during a public holiday please call
MASCOT:
(02) 9317 2222 | LIVERPOOL (02) 9821 2474
If you have an emergency
after hours please call us on the above numbers:
Dental
emergencies don't take a holiday, so why should your dentist?
Dr. Phillip F. Ajaje is known as the public holidays dentist
in Sydney because you can reach him for emergency dentistry
during holidays, weekends, and long after regular business
hours have ended on weekdays.
Here are
some common dental emergencies and how to handle them:
Bleeding
Cut lips, tongue
or gums
Rinse the wounds
and clean gently with cold water or salt solution. Apply
pressure with a damp cloth. Call us or get to your nearest
Accident and Emergency clinic.
Extraction
wounds
Take a clean handkerchief,
wet it, wring it out, fold it, place over the bleeding socket
and bite firmly. Keep it there for at least 10 minutes.
Sit down - do not move about. If bleeding persists, reapply
the handkerchief with a damp tea-bag folded inside the cloth
(don't allow burst bag to spill tea leaves into the wound),
and leave for a further ten minutes. Avoid smoking, hot
drinks, alcohol and exercise for the following 12 hours.
If the bleeding persists call us or the Emergency Dentist.
Teeth bumped, displaced
or loosened
If possible, gently
push the tooth back into position. Hold it in while you
apply pressure around the tooth with a damp cloth for several
minutes. Call us or get to the Emergency Dentist as soon
as possible.
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Teeth
knocked out
Baby/Milk
tooth
If the tooth is completely knocked out then there is no
treatment for that tooth other than stopping the bleeding.
You may contact us for advice and to set up an appointment
to check no other damage has been done.
Adult Tooth
Time is critical. If you can replace the tooth immediately
or keep it moist and make it to the dentist within thirty
minutes, there is a good chance that the tooth can be saved.
The chances of successful re-implantation reduce dramatically
with time, so act swiftly.
Find the tooth. Do
not touch the root - hold it by the crown. Do not scrub
or attempt to disinfect it, as you may kill some of the
living cells on the root.
If it is clean immediately
after dislodgment: Try to put it back in place yourself.
Hold it by the crown and push it gently back into its socket,
checking that it is inserted in its original position and
the right way round. Hold it in place and apply pressure
around the tooth with a damp cloth for several minutes.
Contact a dentist as quickly as possible.
If it is not clean:
Do not touch the root - hold it by the crown. Do not scrub
or disinfect it. In order of preference rinse it with milk
or weak salt solution (one level teaspoon in a large mug
of cold water) or cold water or have the patient suck it
clean before gently pushing it back into place. Hold it
in place and apply pressure around the tooth with a damp
cloth for several minutes. Contact a dentist as quickly
as possible.
If you can't put
the tooth back into its socket: In order of preference place
it in a cup of milk or salt solution (one level teaspoon
in a large mug of cold water) or cold water. Alternatively,
put it under the patient's tongue or in the cheek pouch.
Do not let it become dry. Do not put it in disinfectant.
Call us or the Emergency Dentist immediately.
..................................................................................................
Loose
Filling or Crown
See one of our dentist
as soon as possible. If it is not repaired within a few
days, decay can reach the tooth nerve, which may require
root canal treatment. Do not try to use hardware glues like
'superglue' or 'epoxy' to re-cement the restoration yourself.
If your crown (cap)
has come out, carefully scrape out the loose old cement
inside the crown and place a layer of Vaseline inside the
crown. Rinse the tooth well to remove all loose cement or
food particles. Place the crown over the tooth and gently
press into place. Bite down gently to seat the crown. Wipe
away the excess Vaseline. This should create a temporary
seal until you see a dentist.
If a filling has
come out and the sharp edges are cutting your tongue or
the tooth is sensitive, rinse out the cavity and fill it
with well chewed sugar-free chewing-gum or the soft wax
on the outside of some cheeses. If you can't get to a dentist
soon be sure to remove the temporary packing and brush the
cavity thoroughly before replacing with a new temporary
stopping.
...........................................................................................................
Broken
dentures
The first choice
is to seek the help of a dentist or clinical dental technician
to have a proper repair done. If you desperately need to
do a temporary home repair remove the denture/pieces, clean
them well and dry them off. Do several practice runs at
fitting the pieces together and holding them there. Once
you are confident you can do this accurately use a small
amount of cyanoacrylate 'superglue' to glue the denture
together. Don't use any other type of glue. Once the glue
is dry rinse the denture and make sure no un-hardened glue
is left before inserting the denture back into your mouth.
Don't use superglue directly in your mouth! See your dentist/technician
as soon as possible to have a permanent repair done.
...............................................................................................................
Toothache
Contact your dentist
for an appointment as soon as possible. In the meantime,
try applying oil of cloves (available at chemists). You
can also use commonly available pain-killers such as aspirin,
paracetamol (Panadol) or Nurofen. Do not place painkillers
directly under your tongue or on teeth, cheek or gums -
you can cause chemical burns by doing this.
............................................................................................................
Abscess
or gum boil
This problem should
be attended to quickly. If a dentist is not available, see
your Accident and Emergency clinic. Usually antibiotics
are required. The tooth may require root canal treatment
or extraction.
If you have severe
swelling of the face or neck or are feverish or having difficulty
breathing seek medical help IMMEDIATELY!
.............................................................................................................
Ulcers
and infected wisdom teeth
Contact one of our
dentists for an appointment as soon as possible. In the
meantime keep your mouth and teeth as clean as possible
by maintaining your regular brushing and flossing routines.
You can rinse with warm salt solution (one level teaspoon
in a large mug of water) as often as possible. A commercial
mouthwash, especially with chlorhexidine, such as Colgate
Savacol or Oral-B mouthwash, can be used three or four times
daily between salt rinses. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory
painkillers can be helpful in some cases, so if a dentist
is not available see your Accident and Emergency clinic
for a prescription. Do not use someone else's 'leftover'
pills!
If you are not allergic
to Iodine, Betadine mouthwash can also helpful for mouth
ulcers.
COSMETIC
DENTISTRY - PUBLIC HOLIDAY DENTIST
