When you have a broken tooth, you need to see a dentist in Lake City right away. You can’t always do that, and even when you can, it can take 30 to 60 minutes to get there at least. So, you need to take steps to protect your mouth.
Depending on the way your tooth has broken, you could end up with a sharp crack in the tooth that catches the gum. You could even have a crack that goes all the way into the gum line and causes pain and problems there. What can you do while you wait for your dentist appointment?
Use Dental Wax Over the Tooth
You want to protect parts of your mouth from the sharp points in the break while you wait to see a dentist in Lake City. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the way to the dentist right now. You still want to prevent any further damage. A cut in the mouth is dangerous for an infection, and it is also extra painful as there’s always something that causes it to sting and hurt.
Dental wax is one of the best things that you can use. You place it over the top of the point to keep it away from your cheeks and your tongue. It’s going to be a little uncomfortable, but it will be worth it while you wait to be seen.
If you don’t have dental wax, you could use sugarless chewing gum in a pinch. You need to make sure that it is sugarless or you end up causing other problems for your teeth.
Avoid Flossing the Tooth
You may hear that flossing can help to relieve some of the pressure from the broken tooth. It’s worth avoiding that while you wait for the dentist in Lake City. This can depend on the way the tooth has broken, though.
If it has cracked and there are still bits falling out, you’ll need to avoid flossing. By flossing, you run the risk of dislodging more of the tooth and this can make the break a lot worse. Don’t touch the tooth at all, except to place some dental wax over it if you really need to. If the tooth is crumbling away, though, you’ll want to avoid the dental wax as well and just try your hardest not to go anywhere near it.
If the tooth had a clean break, flossing can help a little. You can get rid of small parts of the tooth that got stuck, and you can remove any other debris from between the teeth to relieve pressure from the gums.
Always ask your dentist about the steps that you can take. Some dentists will book you in right away so there isn’t anything major for you to do. If you have to wait, your dentist in Lake City will give the best steps for your exact situation. This will also help them when it comes to the treatment of that broken tooth.