Home help | The Natural Smile

During the Corona Virus Lockdown you will only be able to access urgent or emergency dental care the definitions are below

Urgent Dental Treatment

Facial swelling extending to face and neck.
Bleeding following an extraction that doesn't stop after 20 mins solid pressure with a gauze/clean hanky. A small amount of oozing is normal like a grazed knee.
Bleeding due to trauma
Tooth broken and causing pain, or tooth fallen out
Significant toothache preventing sleep, eating, associated with significant swelling.

Straight to A&E

Facial swelling that affects vision or breathing, preventing mouth opening more than two fingers width.
Trauma causing loss of consciousness double vision or vomiting.

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Clean and check the crown, If the crown is mostly hollow you can attempt to re-cement it at home if you feel confident to do so.

Remove any debris from the crown, you can use something like the tip of a paper clip to scrape the old cement away. Clean your tooth softly but thoroughly. All debris must be removed from the tooth and the crown for it to seat properly.

Check that the crown fits without the cement. Check that when you bite together it feels correct, if the tooth feels to tall it is not fitted correctly, double check for debris. Never force a crown onto your tooth you can fracture the root. If you cannot get it to fit keep it until you can see us, and follow the advice below about cleaning the tooth

Crowns should be replaced using a dental cement from a pharmacy , like 'recapit' DO NOT USED SUPERGLUE OR FIXADENT

Once you have practice placing the crown dry the tooth and the crown, mix the cement as instructed on the packet and then fill the crown. Place the crown directly on the tooth, bite firmly to press it into place

Remove any extra cement with an easypick between your teeth to make sure that they do not stick together

If the crown or inlay is not hollow, or you can' get it to seat back in place, or you cant get any of the cement; clean it up and put it somewhere safe and labelled
Keep the remaining tooth as clean as possible really getting your toothbrush and easypicks into the area gently.
if you have the cement but you can't fit crown properly you could just try mixing up the cement ans squishing into the hole, especially if the remaining tooth is sharp to the tongue

Lost or loose crown or inlay

Tooth Ache

Good gentle cleaning with a soothing fluoride toothpaste such as Alodent. Significantly Reducing sugar intake will help stop the decay from getting any worse.

If there is a hole in the tooth or it is cracked and is sensitive/sharp a temporary filling can be packed into the space, these are widely available from supermarkets and chemists

Desensitising/sensitive toothpaste (like sensodyne repair and protect) can help. rub the toothpaste directly on the affected area and do not rinse afterwards

Swelling

Light localised swelling try to encourage draining by massaging the area and by rinsing with hot salt water rinses.

If it has come to a head but it is not draining If you are very careful you could take a needle (sterilised in boiling water) and break the surface gently with this , then repeat massage and hot salt water rinses

Lost or broken fillings/ teeth

The teeth can often be really sensitive initially but then calm after a day or so. Take some light pain killers (paracetamol) during this time if necessary.

you may experience 2 further problems, sharp or irritating soft tissues again things will smooth over time after feeling very sharp initially. A little chewed gum can help here in the short term

Food trapping, try to keep it clean and remove any food with very careful brushing and careful use of easypick or Tepe brush. Try to get hold of a temporary repair kit which should be available from chemists , clean the hole well before placing the temporary filling material in in it

Ulcers

Although painful most Ulcers will heal in 7-10 days. Non healing ulcers should be assessed by a dentist or a doctor.

Use Mouthwash, ideally Alodent, or other aloe vera based mouthwash, its great for soothing and healing, dilute it if you need to f you can't get hold of Alodent try warm salt water rinses 1 teaspoon of salt in a cup of water

Excellent cleaning, even if its painful to brush. The mouth must be keep clean to encourage healing and prevent more ulcers forming - Be gentle and use a soft brush like a Small Humble Brush. Use warm water, Alodent toothpaste, and clean especially around the sore area don't avoid it as plaque buildup will only make it worse