What do you do if you have a dental emergency before your wedding?
1. Wake-up with bad breath on the day of your wedding?
- Chew sugar free chewing gum or mints. Chew for 2 minutes which, will last couple of hours.
- Coarse food - carrots help clean mouth.
- Avoid onions and garlic the day before if possible.
- Chew parsley, mint, fennel, aniseed or eat an orange.
- Use an alcohol-free mouthwash it will mask any odours.
Toothache. Rub oil of clove around the gum next to the tooth that is hurting. A cold compress (ice pack) over the area may help or you can take ibuprofen (Neurofen) 400 mg three times a day if you are over 18 and have no history of allergies, asthma or kidney disease.Otherwise two 500mg paracetamol tablets three times a day will help. Bear in mind they should be taken regularly and will take about an hour to take effect. Pain control is better if you take tablets before the pain returns. Avoid hot/cold/sweet foods. If you feel unwell, have a temperature or the gum starts to swell see your dentist immediately.
2. Loose filling, crown.
Crown. If it is in one piece clean the inside of the crown with tissue/cotton wool. Then work out which tooth it came off and looking in the mirror replace it. Once you have worked out which way it fits check that your teeth bite together as they did before.Take your crown off again remembering its position. Get some sugar-free chewing gum and start chewing and then break a small piece off (half the size of a pea). Place this inside the crown and dry the tooth off with tissue/cotton and replace it in the same place as before.Then bite down to check it is fully seated. This temporary measure should get you through your wedding day. Try to be careful with sticky foods and try not to eat directly on the tooth.Filling. Work out which tooth the filling came from, looking in the mirror helps. Chew some sugar-free chewing gum. Dry the tooth with tissue/cotton wool and then break off a corresponding amount of chewing gum and place it in the cavity and bite together and grind side to side until the bite feels right. Again be careful not to eat on the tooth.
3. Do you want whiter teeth?
Avoid staining foods/ drinks the day before the wedding. Brush using whitening toothpaste and if you have bleaching trays from your dentist use them the night before the wedding for the best result.
