Dental emergency – what to do…?

Broken milk teeth are usually not reinstated. If you are not sure whether it is a milk tooth, please proceed as with a permanent tooth.

The tooth, which has broken out together with its root, should best be transported in a tooth-rescue box (available in the pharmacy) and then immediately visited/consulted by a dentist. Within 24 hours, the tooth can be reinserted with high probability.

In any case, it should be prevented that the tooth dries out. If there is no tooth rescue box at hand, place the tooth in cold UHT milk (no fresh milk), saline solution or alternatively in a freezer bag. Please do not wrap in a handkerchief or similar.

Please do not touch the root of the tooth and do not clean or disinfect it. Important cells on the root surface can otherwise be destroyed and re-insertion is then no longer possible.

These so-called fractures of the dental crown occur most frequently. If it is a permanent tooth, the fragment can be reattached by the dentist if necessary. Please search the accident site for fragments and store them moist. The tooth rescue box, UHT milk or physiological saline solution is also suitable for this.

Afterwards please contact a dentist / emergency service. The sensitive fracture surface or the exposed tooth nerve must be treated promptly by the dentist in order to prevent further damage.

If the tooth is movable or shifted in its direction due to the accident, please leave the situation as it is and do not manipulate the tooth under any circumstances. Please contact the dentist / emergency service immediately.

If the tooth is extremely loose in small children, remove the tooth to prevent swallowing or inhalation. Then treat it like a knocked out tooth, so it is best to store it in a tooth rescue box and see a dentist immediately.

• Your tooth hurts from warmth, but the cold soothes it
• Your tooth is sensitive to pressure / knocking
• throbbing pain in the rhythm of the heartbeat
• with unclear cause of pain

The following painkillers can help relieve toothache: The active ingredients paracetamol or ibuprofen have proven effective in the treatment of toothache. Pain killers with the active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid should be avoided (such as aspirin / ASS) as they increase the tendency to bleed.

Pain killers should generally only be taken after consultation with your doctor / pharmacist and never over a longer period of time, please visit a dentist promptly.

If, in addition to to toothache, you also have a swelling on your cheek, you should make an appointment with your dentist or emergency service immediately and absolutely. A “thick cheek” indicates an acute inflammation, which can lead to an abscess with worse consequences. As a first relief you can take a painkiller and cool the swollen face with a damp cold compress, not with ice.

After an operation or tooth extraction there may be occasional postoperative bleeding. If you are worried about a major loss of blood, have yourself taken to the dentist / dental emergency service. Do not drive yourself.

Bite on a sterile swab from the first-aid kit or on a freshly ironed (thus almost sterile), small folded tissue or towel and exert pressure on the wound.

Do not rinse and rest with upright upper body. If the bleeding does not stop after one hour, please contact the emergency dental service immediately.

If your provisional tooth or crown has come loose, you can help yourself until your appointment with the dentist. First remove old cement residues and then check the fit by reinserting the temporary or crown and carefully biting it together.

If it feels the same as before, you can dry it easily and reattach it with a little toothpaste. However, please make an appointment with us as soon as possible in order to be able to re-cement the temporary restoration or crown.