As Murphy’s Law would have it, dental emergencies such as toothaches, abscesses, broken teeth, and a crown falling off tend to happen when it’s most inconvenient. Maybe you’re out of town for the holidays, on a business trip, or your dentist’s office just closed for the weekend.

What can you do if you’re in pain and need toothache relief? DIY methods may not always be the safest, as some of the “tips” you’ll find online could actually lead to additional oral health complications. But if you are in pain, here are some of our Alexandria dental emergency tips to get you by until you can get to our office:

• Take an anti-inflammatory medication such as Motrin/ibuprofen. Swelling is the leading cause of tooth pain. Anti-inflammatories provide the best pain relief for dental emergencies. Just make sure you’re cleared by your doctor to take NSAIDs.
• Rinse with warm saltwater. Saltwater naturally draws out inflammation. You can safely rinse every few hours as needed. A teaspoon of table salt in a tall glass of lukewarm or warm water will provide the right concentration for this DIY emergency mouth rinse.
• Avoid eating on that side of your mouth. Putting too much pressure on a broken or chipped tooth could lead to an unnecessary abscess or nerve damage. For the time being, chew elsewhere.
• Call our Alexandria dentist immediately. Alexandria Dental Health & Smile Studio consistently monitors incoming calls for spur-of-the-moment dental emergencies. We’ll walk you through what to do and arrange to see you in our office as early as possible.

Call Alexandria Dental Health & Smile Studio today. New patients are always welcome!