Knocked out teeth…. 20 April 20205 April 2022What is an avulsed tooth?An avulsed tooth is one that has been knocked out.A tooth can be knocked out by a blow to the mouth, or an accident involving the face. This can happen for example while playing contact sports or other trauma. The tooth can be replaced in the socket successfully if you take the right action as soon as possible.What to do if you or your child knocks out a tooth….I’m bleeding, what can I do?Don’t panic. Get a clean handkerchief and fold it up, then hold it over the socket and bite down. Keep your jaws together to apply pressure. If you need something for the pain, don’t take any medication containing aspirin as this can cause the bleeding to get worse. Do not apply clove oil to the wound.I’ve still got the complete tooth, can it be replaced?Maybe. The complete tooth needs to be replaced in the socket as soon as possible, ideally in under 30 minutes. But teeth have been successfully replaced up to 60 minutes after being knocked out.What should I do with the tooth?Don’t touch the root. If the tooth is very dirty, rinse it with milk or tap water. Do not clean it with disinfectant or let it dry out.How do I put the tooth back in?Hold the tooth by the crown and put it back into the socket firmly, root first. Bite on a clean handkerchief for about 15 to 20 minutes. Visit your dentist as soon as possible.What should I do if I can’t get the tooth back in?Your tooth has more chance of survival if you keep it in your cheek until you can get emergency dental treatment. This will keep the tooth in its most natural environment. If this is not possible, keep it in some milk.What if I have only got part of the tooth?It is not a good idea to try and put the tooth back into the socket if it is not complete. Contact your dental team us as soon as possible and we can tell you what can be done to restore the tooth. You may need dental x-rays to see if there is any root damage.Is there anything I should do if I haven’t got the tooth?If you cannot find the tooth, you may have swallowed it. If you think you may have swallowed or inhaled it, you may need an x-ray to be sure of this.What if it is a baby tooth?We do not recommend putting back a baby tooth in case an infection damaged the adult tooth underneath. Contact us to check this first though. We may need to examine the child to check if any bits of tooth are still in the gum. There is no way to temporarily replace a baby tooth, so the only treatment is to wait for the adult tooth to appear.Contact us to book in for emergency dental treatment?It is important to get emergency dental treatment. Contact us as soon as possible and explain what has happened.What should happen at my emergency visit?We will assess you and may treat any facial injury. However, treatment may be limited if there is any bruising or bleeding. We may take x-rays and will check if the tooth has re-implanted successfully. You will probably need more appointments for follow-up treatment.What other treatment may I need?If the tooth has re-implanted successfully you may not need any other treatment, as long as you keep up your regular check-ups. If the tooth becomes loose, it can be ‘splinted’ to the teeth next to it. This means it will be temporarily attached to keep it firm until we can tell whether it has re-implanted successfully.If the tooth is lost or doesn’t re-implant successfully, it can be replaced at first with a denture. Then, when the socket has healed fully, you can have a bridge or dental implant.Is there anything that I can do to avoid getting a tooth knocked out?If you are playing sports, particularly contact sports, you should always wear a mouthguard.This is a rubber-like cover that fits over your teeth and protects you against a blow to the mouth. Your dental team can have one made for you by taking an impression of your teeth and sending it to a laboratory. The laboratory then makes the mouthguard so that it fits your mouth exactly.Mouthguards can be clear or coloured – for example, in the colours of the team kit if you want to wear one while playing sport.If we can help with any advice or treatment, please contact us, and we will help. It can be an upsetting time, if a tooth is knocked out, especially if it is a child. Try not to panic, and call us as soon as you can.
Seven tips to tip the balance….staying cheerful in testing times 17 April 20205 April 2022It’s challenging times for all. With the lockdown restrictions in the UK continuing for at least another three weeks, we thought now might be the time to think about what we can all do to keep our spirits up!1.ROUTINE ROUTINE ROUTINE Have some sort of plan for the day which you’ll try to keep to each day. Regular sleep. Regular meals. Gentle goals to set and try to keep. One of course is good oral hygiene regimen. If you don’t usually spend a great deal of time cleaning in between the teeth with floss or interproximal brushes, why not start now, get it into your routine and keep it there for life. Add them to your shopping list.2.CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN Clean and pleasant surroundings and clothing. Wash up. Tidy up. Declutter! Why not bag up those things you just no longer need, and leave them ready to take to a charity shop when they re-open. Charities will have taken a hit during the lockdown too.3.DOWN TIME TO RELAX AND HAVE FUNHowever you do it it’s important to switch off and amuse yourself and cheer yourself up. Entertainment is vital.4.FRESH AIR AND EXERCISE Even if you’re really limited in what you can do just opening the door or window and taking some deep breaths makes a difference. The simplest of exercises indoors or a brief walk outdoors makes a difference. 5.CONNECT CONNECT CONNECT However you do it keep in touch with others in your life. Make that call. Type that text. Write that email or letter or note. FaceTime. Message. Skype. WhatsApp. Telemeetings and Zoom Meetings. Share the good stuff and the funny. Connect connect connect!6.NO TO NEGATIVITYLimit the intake of bad news coming at you from the Media. Keep in touch with what’s going on but don’t binge watch the news.7.YES TO POSITIVITYThere are ALWAYS things and people to be thankful for. Always. It’s hard at times but being grateful and looking for the good in life and seeing the funny side of life and having a laugh at times will always do us good and keep us sane (more or less!)#Stay home, save lives, protect our NHS. Stay safe everyone. Team Newby.
Beth completes her further training 4 April 20205 April 2022Congratulations to Beth, who despite everything that is happening at the moment, still managed to pass her examination in Oral Health Education.She has worked tirelessly over the past few months, helping educate our patients and making sure they are able to make the right choices for not only their dental health, but their general health too.Yesterday marked the final part of her studies, with her receiving her examination results. She passed with flying colours. But of course she did!WELL DONE BETH! WE’RE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU!
Managing toothache during self-isolation 26 March 20205 April 2022Top Tips for Managing Toothache During Self IsolationIn light of recent government advice, as we have all been advised to stay at home where possible, then the last thing you want is to develop toothache. We are here to provide advice and care for severe emergencies but we recommend everyone, especially those over 70 or at increased risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 follow stringent social distancing measures.If you have symptoms of Coronavirus (new persistent cough and/or fever) you should not attend the practice. Please call 111 for the most up to date advice.As it is not safe at the moment to see us, in most cases, there are a few things you can try to manage the pain until you can. It is unclear at this point when normal service will resume. If you have a swelling on your face or difficulty swallowing, this requires urgent professional attention so don’t be afraid to contact us for advice.Email info@newbydentalpractice.co.uk for advice and where possible we will provide emergency care. PAIN FROM TEETHDecay is a bacterial breakdown in a tooth which causes a cavity. If the bacteria gets close to the nerve in a tooth, it can cause the tooth to be acutely sensitive. As the cavity causing inflammation of the nerve gets worse, the ligaments holding the tooth in position can also get inflamed which causes pain on biting.If the tooth is acutely sensitive to temperature, antibiotics will not fix this. The decay needs to be removed to allow the tooth to heal. If the bacteria has caused irreversible damage to the nerve in the tooth then a root filling is required or the tooth needs to be extracted.To help manage toothache until you can visit us, there are a few things that may help reduce the pain:If there is a cavity in the tooth, a temporary filling material can be packed in to this space. These temporary filling kits are widely available from supermarkets or pharmacies.Anti-inflammatory tablets (NSAIDs) can reduce the sensitivity. A combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol has been found to be beneficial if you can take them both – however, there are some possible reports that Ibuprofen may increase the symptoms of COVID-19 so Paracetamol alone is probably best if you have symptoms. Make sure you don’t exceed the recommended dosage!Don’t stop taking the anti-inflammatory when the pain stops (or it will come back again!) You are wanting to reduce the inflammation of the nerve in the tooth which is causing the pain.Desensitising toothpaste such as Sensodyne repair and protect or Colgate sensitive pro relief can help.Anaesthetic gel such as Orajel applied to the area can help to numb the pain.Keep your head elevated at night time- When you lie down to go to sleep, the pressure in the tooth can increase which increases pain. An extra pillow at night time can helpKeep the area cold– reducing blood flow to an area will reduce the inflammation and pain. Do not apply ice directly to a tooth as this can increase the pain as toothaches are quite sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.DENTAL INFECTION(a swelling next to the tooth or pus discharging)Rinse your mouth with warm salty mouthwash to try and draw out the infection into your mouth. Dissolve a spoonful of sea salt in warm water and rinse around your mouth/ hold it in your mouth next to the infected area. Repeat several times until the pain subsides.Never put heat externally on your face as this can draw the infection into the tissues in your face causing external swellings.PAIN FROM GUMSIf there is bacteria or food debris trapped between the gum and the tooth, this can cause pain.Thoroughly clean the area with floss or a te-pe interdental brush. You could put corsodyl gel onto the brush to help clean the area.Rinsing thoroughly with Corsodyl mouthwash can help (but Corsodyl will stain your teeth so we don’t recommend this for long term use).PAIN FROM ULCERSMouth ulcers can be a sign of underlying medical conditions such as iron deficiency so shouldn’t be ignored. Any mouth ulcer which doesn’t heal in two weeks should be checked by a dentist.To reduce the discomfort, you can try a topical ansesthetic gel such as OrajelTo help with healing of ulcers, Gengigel can be effective as well as soothing the pain.You can also rinse with warm salty mouthwashBROKEN TEETHIf a tooth or filling has chipped or cracked, this can cause sensitivity from the tooth being exposed or pain to your tongue from sharp edges.The sensitivity can be reduced by rubbing a de-sensitising toothpaste onto the tooth or placing a temporary filling material over the broken corner until a more definitive filling can be placed.Our thoughts go out to all affected by this pandemic. We hope it is not too long before we will be able to return to the Practice and continue to do what we love – treating our amazing patients. It is times like these which really make you evaluate how lucky we are to have such an incredible team, amazing patients and lovely Practice.Stay safe. Stay home.