Any dental emergency like an injury to the teeth or gums can be potentially serious and should not be ignored. Ignoring a dental problem can increase the risk of permanent damage as well as the need for more extensive and expensive treatment later on.

Here's a quick summary of what to do for some common dental problems.

• Toothaches. First, thoroughly rinse your mouth with warm water. Use dental floss to remove any lodged food. If your mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth or cheek. Never put any medication or any other painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth because it may burn the gum tissue. See your dentist as soon as possible.
  
  
• Chipped or broken teeth. Save any pieces. Rinse the mouth using warm water; rinse any broken pieces. If there's bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip near the broken/chipped tooth to keep any swelling down and relieve pain. See your dentist as soon as possible.
  
  
• Knocked-out tooth. Retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown (the part that is usually exposed in the mouth), and rinse off the tooth root with water if it's dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible, try to put the tooth back in place. Make sure it's facing the right way. Never force it into the socket. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, put the tooth in a small container of milk (or cup of water that contains a pinch of table salt, if milk is not available). In all cases, see your dentist as quickly as possible. Knocked out teeth with the highest chances of being saved are those seen by the dentist and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out.
  
  
• Extruded (partially dislodged) tooth. See your dentist right away. Until you reach your dentist's office, to relieve pain, apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever if needed.
  
  
• Objects caught between teeth. First, try using dental floss to very gently and carefully remove the object. If you can't get the object out, see your dentist. Never use a pin or other sharp object to poke at the stuck object. These instruments can cut your gums or scratch your tooth surface.
  
  
• Lost filling. As a temporary measure, stick a piece of sugarless gum into the cavity (sugar-filled gum will cause pain). See your dentist as soon as possible.
  
  
• Lost crown. If the crown falls off, make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible and bring the crown with you. If you can't get to the dentist right away and the tooth is causing pain, use a cotton swab to apply a little clove oil to the sensitive area (clove oil can be purchased at your local drug store or in the spice aisle of your grocery store). If possible, slip the crown back over the tooth. Before doing so, coat the inner surface with toothpaste, or denture adhesive, to help hold the crown in place. 
  
  
• Broken braces and wires. If a wire breaks or sticks out of a bracket or band and is poking your cheek, tongue, or gum, try using the eraser end of a pencil to push the wire into a more comfortable position. If you can't re-position the wire, cover the end with orthodontic wax, a small cotton ball, or piece of gauze until you can get to your orthodontist's office. Never cut the wire, as you could end up swallowing it or breathing it into your lungs.
  
  
• Loose brackets and bands. Temporarily reattach loose braces with a small piece of orthodontic wax. Alternatively, place the wax over the braces to provide a cushion. See your orthodontist as soon as possible. If the problem is a loose band, save it and call your orthodontist for an appointment to have it recemented or replaced (and to have missing spacers replaced).
  
  
• Abscess. Abscesses are infections that occur around the root of a tooth or in the space between the teeth and gums. Abscesses are a serious condition that can damage tissue and surrounding teeth, with the infection possibly spreading to other parts of the body if left untreated.
  
  Because of the serious oral health and general health problems that can result from an abscess, see your dentist as soon as possible if you discover a pimple-like swelling on your gum that usually is painful. In the meantime, to ease the pain and draw the pus toward the surface, try rinsing your mouth with a mild salt water solution (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in a glass of water) several times a day.
  
  
• Soft-tissue injuries. Injuries to the soft tissues, which include the tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips, can result in bleeding. To control the bleeding, here's what to do:
  
  
  1. Rinse your mouth with a mild salt-water solution.
  2. Use a moistened piece of gauze or tea bag to apply pressure to the bleeding site. Hold in place for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. To both control bleeding and relieve pain, hold a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. If the bleeding doesn't stop, see your dentist right away or go to a hospital emergency room. Continue to apply pressure on the bleeding site with the gauze until you can be seen and treated.

The loud whirr of the dental tools.

Your dentist's eyes, peeking over the sterile (some may say ominous-looking) green mask.

Leaning back in the seat, pinned down by the heavy protective bib that protects your body from radiation during dental X-rays.

Scraping with sharp tools to chip away at the stains on your teeth. Then the dentists' toothbrush, followed by suctioning and sprays of water from the mini water jet.

It sounds like a typical visit to the dentist. But for many people with some degree of dental phobia -- technically called dentophobia or odontophobia -- it's the worst experience in the world.

Your Fears are Normal. Fear of dentists is very common. Let's face it -- going to the dentist is not fun; dentists do poke and prod a sensitive area of your body. Often an upsetting childhood dental experience has lasting effects into adulthood. Sometimes people "inherit" fears from parents, whose experiences with dentists may have been traumatic. But dentists are better trained today and have tools and techniques to minimize discomfort.


The 7 most common dental fears are:

1.    Fear of the unknown :

It is of prime importance that your dentist makes you feel comfortable and relaxed before you start your dental procedure. Just simply casual talking to your dentist can bring about a lot of ease. Give a cue. Establish a sign, such as raising your hand, to let your dentist know if you're uncomfortable and need him to stop working immediately.

2.    Fear of dental equipment :

Sometimes, the scariest part of the dental visit is having those strange, sharp, metal tools stuck into your mouth. What can help ease this fear is to ask to hold the tools first, just so they don't seem so foreign. And its good to know that tools that make the loudest noise rarely hurt.

3.    Sensitive gag reflex :

People with a sensitive gag reflex may loathe the part of the dentist's visit where those tabs are put in the mouth for the dental X-ray. You can request your dentist to spray an anesthetic at the back of your throat to prevent from gagging.

4.    The dentist seems ominous:

Find a dentist with a sense of humor! A study published in the European Journal of Oral Science showed that empathy and humor are big factors in reducing dental fear. 

5.    Fear of loud noises:

Those dental tools can be really loud, and the noise can stir up fear in some people. Wearing earplugs or headphones will block out the sound and will make you feel more relaxed.

6.    Feeling uncomfortable lying back in a dentist's chair:

Some people may be uncomfortable with something as simple as lying back in the dentist's chair, due to a bad back or some control issues. A simple remedy may be for the dentist to only put the patient half-back so that it's more comfortable. Or, a dentist could provide positioning pillows for people who feel aches and pains from being in a laid-back position.

7.   Fear of not being in control :

Talk it over. Anxiety often comes from not knowing what’s about to happen. When you know what the dentist is going to do, you won’t be taken by surprise.

And the good news is modern dentistry is virtually painless.