This article explores all the various measures one should take in the event of a dental emergency involving chipped, broken, cracked or displaced teeth as well as bleeding from the soft tissue.

1. Ask the Encinitas Dentist: What To Do If You
Sustain Dental Trauma
This article explores all the various measures one should take in the event of a dental
emergency involving chipped, broken, cracked or displaced teeth as well as bleeding from the
soft tissue.
The Encinitas Dentist: About Accidental Trauma
There are two things that are a sure bet when it comes to accidents and the Encinitas
dentist knows that with accidents: (1) they are never planned and (2) they can cause some
pretty nasty damage to your teeth and gums and even the underlying jaw bone. You may
have witnessed an accident that involved someone receiving a hockey puck in the mouth,
or some kid’s unfortunate dad getting hit in the mouth with the play swing. You yourself
may even have a few gruesome stories of your own to tell, which could involve something
as serious as a car accident or something as silly as slipping on a banana peel and careening
face-first into a Stop sign. Regardless of the cause and the severity of the damage,
accidental trauma received to the face and mouth is never pleasant, always painful and
deserves the immediate attention of the Encinitas dentist. In order to leave you better
informed about handling certain dental emergencies, here is a list of the various things the
Encinitas dentist has seen and what you – as the victim, or the victim’s friend/family
member/acquaintance - should do about it.
The Things the Encinitas Dentist has Seen
A Chipped Tooth ~ Teeth can quite easily become chipped, especially if you are an adrenalin
junkie with a penchant for gobstoppers. If the chip is small and doesn’t hurt, it’s up to you
to decide whether you want a cosmetic restoration (porcelain veneer, ceramic crown, etc.)
placed by the Encinitas dentist.
A Broken or Cracked Tooth ~ The Encinitas dentist will want to repair a broken or cracked
tooth not only because of the pain the exposed nerves in the root and pulp can cause, but
because of the risk of infection caused by food and bacteria getting into the vital regions of

2. the tooth. The Encinitas dentist may opt to place a ceramic crown, perform root canal
therapy or even extract the tooth if it is damaged beyond repair.
Bleeding ~ Bleeding frequently accompanies any kind of dental trauma, even if you haven’t
managed to crack or chip any of your pearly whites. Before you visit the Encinitas dentist,
you should rinse your mouth out with warm, salty water to help clean the torn tissue and
then apply an ice pack to the region of the cheek directly outside the wound. This will help
to slow the bleeding and reduce swelling. If the bleeding does not stop, then go straight to
your Encinitas dentist; you may require sutures.
Knocked-out Tooth ~ If a tooth has become completely displaced, then you mustn’t wait
even a day to see the Encinitas dentist. Your exposed tooth socket will be very vulnerable
to infection and because of the loss of support; the adjacent teeth will become unstable and
start to shift. You will probably require a dental implant.
The Encinitas Dentist: Your Golden Rule
As it was previously stated, no matter what the cause of the damage and the severity of it,
the golden rule to apply to any dental emergency is to immediately seek the attention of the
Encinitas dentist. Only this healthcare professional will be able to properly assess the
extent of the damage done and whether any measures need to be taken to prevent more
serious problems, such as infection and decay, from developing.