Holistic Family Dentistry in Edmonton

Broken teeth can almost always be saved. Call our clinic, explain what happened and ask to see us right away. If possible, bring in any pieces of the chipped or broken tooth. If the break is small, we may use a white filling to fix the tooth. If the break is serious, further investigation may be needed to plan appropriate treatment. Your tooth may also need a crown.

If the knocked-out tooth is a permanent (adult) tooth, we may be able to put it back. You must act quickly. If the tooth is completely knocked out, rinse it with water but DO NOT scrub it, and try to put it back into the opening. Be careful to hold the tooth by the crown (top), not the root, so you do not damage the ligaments. If you cannot put the tooth back into its opening, or if there's a chance that the tooth might be swallowed, put it in a container of cold milk and take it with you to our clinic right away. If you see bleeding from the opening, rinse the mouth out with water. Place a wad of tissue or gauze on the opening and bite down on it. The pressure applied will usually stop the bleeding. If you can get help within 10 minutes, there is a fair chance that the tooth will take root again.

Gently try to remove the object with dental floss. If you're not successful, give us a visit. Do not try to remove the object with a sharp or pointed instrument; it can cut your gums or scratch the surface of the teeth.

Toothache or tooth pain is caused when the nerve root of a tooth is irritated. Tooth infection, decay, injury or loss of a tooth are the most common causes of dental pain. Call us and explain your symptoms and ask to be seen as soon as possible. Ease the pain with an over-the-counter pain medicine that works for you. Never put medication directly against the gums near an aching tooth because it may burn gum tissue. Hold an ice pack against your face at the spot of the sore tooth. Never use a heating pad, hot water bottle or any other source of heat on your jaw.