It’s always important to prepare for everything to go wrong that can go wrong when traveling. You know, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. However, dealing with a dental emergency while you’re traveling can be more than a bit difficult. What exactly is a dental emergency? When should you contact a dentist and how do you know which one to contact? Here’s a quick look at a few tips for just that situation.
First Response
It doesn’t matter how prepared you are, nobody really plans for dental emergencies. All you can do is research before your trip – for example, if you’re going to be in Naperville, search ahead of time for a dentist in Naperville in the event you need one. Here are a few emergency situations you might find yourself in.
Cracked or Broken Tooth
While this might not necessarily constitute a typical bodily injury, a cracked or broken tooth is actually a dental emergency that you need to have seen to as soon as possible. Until you can be seen, rinse out your mouth and if there’s any facial swelling, press a cold compress to your cheek. If you aren’t able to get to a dentist, head for the emergency room.
Toothache
If you happen to be flying, you may experience a bit of tooth pain due to imbalances in the air pressure. This can happen when air gets into your teeth through a tiny crack or a space in a filling, and then that air grows larger due to the changes in pressure while flying. This kind of toothache is really rather common. It should relieve itself when you land and should only affect teeth with pre-existing issues.
If your toothache occurs while you’re flying but it doesn’t ease up when you land, use floss and rinse your mouth to ensure all food particles are dislodged. You might also take a mild painkiller to ease the pain. If it persists, and you don’t think you can wait to see your dentist at home, find a dentist where you are who can see you.
Dislodged Tooth
If some sort of emergency lands you with a dislodged tooth, make sure that you only hold it by the crown. If it happens to be dirty, rinse the root of the tooth, but try to not touch the fragments of tissue and don’t place it in any sort of cloth. If you can, hold the tooth in the socket where it belongs or transport it inside a cup of milk while you immediately see a dentist. A quick response is critical because the chances of saving the tooth drop drastically after about half an hour.
One of the very best tips for avoiding these types of emergencies is simply to be prepared. This is especially true if you have dental issues before your trip.
One of the best ways to do this is to get in for a dental visit before your trip. If you have a history of cavities or gum disease, get in for a cleaning and let the dentist in on the fact that you’ll be traveling soon. Your dentist will then be on the lookout for any signs of potential issues that you need to keep an eye on while you’re away as well as give you a few tips on how to care for those specific teeth and what to do in response to any sort of dental emergency.
You never know when you’ll need a dentist, so you should always be prepared.