🚨 Dental Emergency Guide

🦷 Tooth knocked out (permanent tooth)

1. Find the tooth. Hold it by the crown (the white part) — never the root.
2. If dirty, rinse gently with milk or saline for a few seconds. Do not scrub.
3. Best: place it back into the socket and bite softly on a cloth.
4. If that's not possible, keep it in a cup of cold milk (or inside the cheek for adults).
5. Get to a dentist within 30–60 minutes — speed decides whether the tooth survives.

⚠️ Time-critical: every minute matters.

🍼 Baby tooth knocked out

1. Do NOT put a baby tooth back in — it can damage the adult tooth underneath.
2. Press a clean cloth on the area to stop bleeding.
3. Offer something cold to suck/bite gently (for older kids).
4. See a dentist the same day to check for fragments and the adult tooth.

💥 Broken / chipped tooth

1. Rinse the mouth with warm water.
2. Save any broken pieces in milk or water.
3. Cold compress on the cheek for swelling.
4. Cover sharp edges with sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax if available.
5. See a dentist within 1–2 days (same day if it hurts or the break is large).

🩸 Bleeding that won't stop

1. Press firmly with a clean gauze or cloth for 15 minutes without peeking.
2. A cold, damp tea bag works well — tannins help clotting.
3. Keep the head elevated; avoid spitting, rinsing or hot drinks.

⚠️ Still bleeding after 30 minutes of firm pressure → emergency room.

😖 Severe toothache

1. Rinse with warm salt water.
2. Gently floss around the tooth — trapped food is a common cause.
3. Paracetamol or ibuprofen per the packet instructions (never aspirin rubbed on the gum).
4. Cold compress outside the cheek. Do not put heat on it.
5. Book a dentist visit — pain that wakes you at night usually means infection.

🎈 Facial swelling

1. Cold compress, 15 minutes on / 15 off.
2. Keep the head raised, even when sleeping.
3. See a dentist urgently — swelling usually means a spreading infection.

⚠️ Swelling reaching the eye or neck, fever, or trouble swallowing/breathing → go to the emergency room NOW.

👑 Lost filling or crown

1. Keep the crown safe in a small box.
2. Sugar-free gum or dental wax can cover the hole temporarily.
3. A pharmacy 'temporary dental cement' can hold a crown for a day or two.
4. Avoid chewing on that side; see your dentist within a few days.