First aid for dental emergencies

Types of dental emergencies:

Abscess/swelling

An abscess is a severe oral infection that can occur in the teeth or gums. This type of oral infection can enter the surrounding bone and tissue and spread to other parts of the body via the bloodstream. Although rare, bacterial abscesses are potentially life threatening if a widespread infection of the brain and body occurs.

Symptoms: Throbbing, painful tooth/jaw ache; hot/cold tooth sensitivity; fever; facial swelling; sensitive lymph nodes; foul odour from oral cavity (released if abscess ruptures).

How to help:

• Seek immediate emergency dental treatment.
• Rinse mouth regularly with warm salty water until dental or medical treatment is accessed.
• Maintain good oral hygiene and care.
• Moderate pain can be managed with over-the-counter medication.
• Cold compresses can help alleviate swelling.

Injury to tongue, lip or cheek

An injury to the tongue, lip or inner cheek can be the result of eating or an injury.

Symptoms: Area might be red, bleeding, sore, swollen or infected.

How to help:

• Clean wound with clean water.
• Rinse mouth gently with warm, salty water
• Once bleeding stops, ice/cold compresses can be applied externally to affected areas to help reduce bruising, swelling and pain.
• For external wounds, apply clean dressing and maintain steady direct pressure on the wound area for several minutes until bleeding has stopped.
• If bleeding cannot be controlled, seek emergency treatment or contact a medical professional.
• Call your dentist for advice or treatment if wound gets infected.

Jaw pain

Jaw pain can be experienced due to a range of oral conditions, including teeth grinding, Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), injury, abscesses and gum disease.

Symptoms: Increasing pain over time – from mild to severe; sudden acute pain.

How to help:

• To relieve pain temporarily, place a cold compress over the affected area.
• Use over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain medication.
• Seek dental or medical assessment and treatment promptly for your chronic or acute jaw pain.

Jaw fracture

Jaw fractures are usually the result of a direct impact or blow to the jaw.

Symptoms: Sudden acute and continual jaw pain; swelling of jaw; breathing difficulties; numbness of lower lip or chin; upper and lower teeth don’t meet in a bite (malocclusion); difficulty moving jaw to speak or yawn; intra-oral bruising & bleeding; misaligned teeth.

How to help:

• If you suspect a fractured jaw, avoid any movement of jaw. A scarf may be tied around head and jaw to prevent jaw movement.
• If patient has symptoms of a jaw fracture, call a medical doctor for advice, or proceed to the emergency room of your nearest hospital immediately.

Knocked-out/dislodged tooth (dental avulsion)

You can save a dislodged permanent tooth, but it requires action within an hour of losing the tooth. If the tooth is a baby tooth of a young child, a dentist will usually not attempt reimplantation to avoid potential damage to an emerging permanent tooth.

Symptoms: Bleeding, swelling, tooth gap

How to help:

• Locate the tooth. Handle by holding the crown only. Avoid touching the root and do not disturb any connective tissue fragments.
• If possible, rinse dirt or debris off the tooth with milk or your own saliva (if it’s your tooth). Don’t use water.
• Try to replace the tooth into the socket. You can also place the tooth in the mouth and hold it between the teeth and cheek pouch. For young children, keep tooth immersed in milk or saliva (not water), or wrapped in plastic film.
• Do not allow tooth to dry out. It is important to keep the tooth moist to improve the chance of a successful reimplantation.
• Contact dentist immediately, but if entire face has sustained multiple injuries, including concussion and other head injuries, proceed to the Emergency Room of your nearest hospital immediately.

Tooth concussion

Tooth concussions occur when a tooth has been knocked on or impacted by a moderate force that does not result in any tooth displacement or tooth intrusion. Tooth concussions usually affect tooth ligaments, and the blood and nerve tissue that connect to a tooth’s root. Concussion injuries may result in some temporary bruising and tooth discolouration.

Symptoms: Tenderness; bruising; tooth discolouration.

How to help:

• Minor tooth concussions do not require emergency treatment, and usually heal naturally. Avoid the use of the affected tooth during hard bites on food.
• If the tooth starts to darken in colour, contact us.