d. Treatment.
(1)
Loose fillings and toothache.
(a)
Mild analgesics (aspirin or acetaminophen).
(b) Warm packs to side of face to lessen pain.
(c)
Soak tip of cotton swab in oil of cloves or whiskey and apply to
tooth.
(d) Have patient to rest in a comfortable position. Lying flat may
increase the pain. Use pillows or rolled blankets behind the head and shoulders.
(e) If dental care is not immediately available, melt or rub between your
palms a piece of paraffin or candle; mix in some strands of cotton--when wax mixture
begins to cool, apply to tooth as temporary filling.
(f) Have the patient to seek dental care to avoid the possibility of
infection developing or progressing.
(2)
Lost or broken tooth.
(a) Do not throw tooth or tooth part away.
(b) Rinse tooth in water and wrap in wet gauze or plastic wrap and
submerge in cold water or ice.
NOTE:
When a tooth falls out, a lot of the membrane to the tooth is still attached.
Keeping the tooth damp will provide a connection for what is remaining in the
bone to make reattachment possible.
(c) If patient is awake and has partial loss of tooth, place moistened
gauze on his tooth--can also place tooth in moistened gauze between his jaw and
cheek.
(d) Put moist gauze in empty socket and have patient bite on the
guaze.
NOTE:
If the tooth is kept damp and protected, and the patient can get to a dentist
within three hours of the injury, there is a 60--75 percent success rate in
reimplanting the tooth.
(3) Abscess. Place warm packs to the patient's face to lessen the pain and
refer to a physician immediately.
MD0 550
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