ToothSOS: App helps in the crucial seconds after dental injury
Have you ever lost or broken a tooth? While trauma occurs in every age bracket from accidents, falls or sports injury, children and seniors have the highest rates. Your dentist is the best place to call first, but what if it’s Friday at 5 PM? The School of Dentistry offers an emergency clinic for walk-in patients at the University of Alberta Hospital. Many people with purely dental trauma end up in the emergency room, which is usually not staffed to treat dental issues. Dr. Liran Levin, professor at the School of Dentistry, says it’s critical to know what to do and where to go in the first few minutes after trauma. “It would be even better to prevent the trauma,” Levin says. “But we can’t run around with a mouth guard all day!” For athletes, having a custom mouthguard made might be something to consider. For older adults, making sure your house is outfitted to prevent falls the best prevention.
Photo: Submitted
The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) created a free mobile app
Common trauma Tooth knocked out
Crown broken
Cut tongue or lip
What to do now? Where to go? How soon? Immediately Your dentist, or try putting the an emergency tooth back into dentist. its place, every second is crucial. If you can’t, store it in milk. Store the broken Your dentist. part in water and see your dentist when you can. Keep calm! It Your dentist might seem like (when you can). a lot of blood. If it doesn’t stop Apply pressure bleeding, visit with gauze or an emergency soft cloth. dentist or the ER.
called ToothSOS that helps navigate dental trauma. Levin highly recommends having it on your phone in case something happens. > Apple > Android
5
