It happened so fast.
Everything was fine. Your daughter was racing to get to the ball, but so was one of her teammates. They didn’t see each other until it was too late, and now they are both lying on the ground.
Your daughter is holding her hands over her mouth.
You rush to her side as fast as you can. One of her teeth is lying on the ground next to her. She is bleeding a bit, and she’s obviously in pain.
This is definitely a dental emergency . It’s time to call Biggers Family Dentistry if you are in or near Midlothian, VA.
Thankfully, you’ve got the number saved in your phone. You call (804) 621-2199 to get in touch with Dr. Hood Biggers as soon as you can.
Dental Emergencies Can Be Scary
We hope the scenario described above never happens to anyone you love. Yet, we also know that accidents and injuries are a part of life. It’s why we keep first aid supplies in our homes
It’s also why we need to know what we will do during a dental emergency as well. They can happen anytime and anywhere.
Having a dentist office you can trust with your family’s emergency dental care can help you remain calm if something unexpected does happen.
And there’s no better place to call than Biggers Family Dentistry.
Dr. Biggers has seen and treated plenty of dental emergencies in his day. In addition to being a member of the Academy of Sports Dentistry, he served for 15 years as the team dentist for the Richmond Renegades hockey team. For better or worse, that gave him lots of practice repairing teeth and mouths.
You can feel confident that he will be able to help you or someone you love when and if needed.
Preparing For A Dental Emergency
Earlier we mentioned having first aid supplies at your home, but do you know what you need for emergency dental care? Let’s discuss some supplies could help you provide immediate assistance during a dental emergency.
▶ Latex or vinyl gloves
If you are assisting someone with any dental problem, you may need to put your hands in his or her mouth. Wearing gloves is a necessary precaution to protect them from blood and saliva.
▶ Gauze or cotton balls
Many dental emergencies can cause bleeding, such as our example of the daughter with the knocked out tooth in our introduction. You could use gauze or cotton to soak up blood as need and to clean dried blood from someone’s mouth.
Gauze also can be used to cover a broken tooth to protect against accidental cuts to the soft tissues of the person’s mouth.
▶ Small flashlight
Mouths can be dark. Having a light handy can make it easier to find the problem.
▶ Dental floss
Sometimes food particles can get stuck in uncomfortable places. Using dental floss may be all you need in some situations to end the pain and fix the problem.
▶ Pain medicine
An over-the-counter pain medicine can help alleviate that pain until you can see a dentist.
Dealing With A Knocked-Out Tooth
To return to our opening scenario, let’s review what you could do to the help the injured daughter.
If you can find the tooth, pick it up by the crown (NOT the roots). Then, rinse it with water, and have your daughter rinse her mouth as well.
Use gauze to soak and clean up any blood. When the bleeding stops, she may want to rinse her mouth again.
If possible, try putting the tooth back in its socket. Leave it if it will stay. If it won’t stay, place it in a container of milk to bring with you to our office.
If your daughter is experiencing pain or swelling, you may want to give her some pain medicine or have her apply a cold pack to the affected area.
And remember to call us — (804) 621-2199 — as soon as possible. We want to address the immediate problem. Then we can discuss what restorative options are available.
One Last Thing …
Since we have been talking about potential dental injuries, we want to remind you that wearing an athletic mouthguard will greatly reduce your risk of suffering a dental emergency.
Custom-fitted mouthguards are another of the services that we offer at Biggers Family Dentistry .