“Look, Daddy! You’ll never guess what I found!” my oldest daughter gleefully exclaimed as I walked back to our golf cart. She held out her hand and watched for my reaction. There in her palm was a gold crown. Her grin declared that she was confident she had impressed her dentist daddy. I held it up and examined it. Dull and dirty, I was sure it had been on the course for quite some time. “This is real gold, you better hang on to it.” I said. She tucked it away in her golf bag that doubles as a nature pouch.
How did this gold crown end up in the dirt right next to the hole 16 tee box? What I suspect is that a poor golfer had a crown come off while chewing a sticky candy bar. He must have taken the crown out of his mouth and placed it in his pocket. Later, while getting out a tee, he likely dropped the crown, making a very expensive golf outing. Losing golf balls is nothing compared to losing gold crowns!
What will you do if something like this happens to you? Do you have your dentist’s cell phone number? Will he meet you at his office at midnight on a Friday night to remove a tooth? Our answering machine at the office has my cell phone number available and it is not too uncommon for me to answer at least one to two emergencies per month. Very rarely do I have to go into the office, but on occasion I do. Once I removed a tooth for a dear patient after 10:00 p.m. on a Friday evening.
Most emergencies are not as serious as an unexpected extraction. Listed below are the most common dental emergencies and reasonable solutions.
Sudden Toothache: First, thoroughly rinse your mouth with warm water. Use dental floss to remove any lodged food, tying a knot and ‘dragging’ it through the contact. Use ibuprofen every 4-6 hours if possible. Do not apply aspirin directly to the tooth (this will burn the tissue).
Dislodged Tooth: Retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown (the part that is usually exposed in the mouth). Rinse off the tooth root with water if it’s dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. Place the tooth in a cup of milk or even keep it in your mouth. Call a dentist immediately. You usually have one hour until the tooth is no longer viable.
Lost filling: As a temporary measure, stick a piece of sugarless gum into the cavity (sugar-filled gum will cause pain) or use an over-the-counter dental temporary cement. See your dentist as soon as possible.
Lost crown: If a crown falls off, make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible and bring the crown with you. If possible, slip the crown back over the tooth. Before doing so, coat the inner surface with an over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste, or denture adhesive to help hold the crown in place. Do not use super glue! Be very careful about the crown dislodging again. If you are worried, place the crown in a sandwich bag, not your pocket, and bring the crown to your dentist.
I hope that this blog has been helpful. Remember, I am always available to my regular patients when emergencies happen. Don’t be afraid to call.
Dr. Ryan
Source: Web MD
