Dental emergencies don't always occur when your dentist is nearby. If you're on vacation, and your tooth just broke, you're going to need to take care of it until you can get to your cosmetic dentist. Here are some simple steps you can take that will help you care for your tooth until you can get to your dentist for cosmetic repairs.

Rinse Your Mouth

If the injury to your tooth has caused your mouth to bleed, you'll need to rinse your mouth to remove the blood and debris. You should rinse your mouth several times a day until you can get to the dentist. Fill a cup with water and add about 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix the solution well and rinse your mouth with it. Spit the solution out and repeat with the remaining water. If you don't have access to salt, simply rinse your mouth with ordinary water several times a day.

Apply Pressure

If rinsing with salt water didn't stop the bleeding, you should apply pressure to the wound site. Fold a piece of medical gauze and place it over the wound site. Bite down carefully on the gauze until the bleeding stops. Be sure to switch out the gauze whenever a piece gets saturated with blood. This will help keep the wound clean.

Reduce the Swelling

Dental injuries can cause significant swelling, which can increase the intensity of the pain you're experiencing. To reduce the swelling, you should apply ice to the affected area. You can use either ordinary ice, or a cold pack from an ice chest. Place the ice over the affected area and leave it in place until you feel it getting too cold. Remove the ice and wait several minutes. Continue the process until you can get to the dentist. This will alleviate the swelling and the pain you're experiencing.

Seal the Tooth

If it's going to be more than several hours before you can reach the dentist, you'll need to seal the tooth. You can do that using dental cement, which is available at most drug stores. Apply the cement to the affected tooth. Be sure to follow the instructions on the package. Get to the dentist as soon as you can.

If you've broken your tooth while on vacation, you might have to wait a while until you can get it repaired. The tips provided here will help you take care of your tooth until you can see your cosmetic dentist. Visit http://www.larsen-haslemdental.com for more information.