There are many different mouth injuries that can happen at inopportune times, so it is important to know how to handle them.  The best thing you can do is to prevent injuries by knowing how most dental emergencies happen.  When you are participating in any kind of sport or physical activity, it is very smart to wear a mouth guard.  Mouth guards will protect your teeth in case of falling or extreme impact.  You can also prevent teeth injuries by avoiding chewing ice, popcorn kernels, hard candy, or anything that could crack or chip your teeth.  Also, never use you teeth to cut tape, string, or thread; always use scissors.  Regardless of taking necessary steps, you can never fully prevent injuries, so prepare yourself with the knowledge of how to handle specific situations

?    A bitten lip or tongue
If any part of the mouth is bitten and cut open, gently clean the injured with a clean cloth and rinse with warm water.  Apply cold compresses to reduce or prevent swelling.  Generally this injury doesn't need medical attention, however, if the bleeding will not stop, you will want to go to the emergency room

?    Broken/chipped tooth
Rinse the mouth with warm water.  Put cold compresses around the area to prevent swelling and call your dentist immediately.  Even if the tooth does not hurt, be sure to make an appointment with your dentist to avoid further complications.

?    Broken jaw
Get to a dentist or an emergency room immediately.  Do not move the jaw.  Use a towel, tie, scarf, or anything to wrap around the head to keep the jaw stable and immobile.  Apply cold compresses.

?    Knocked out tooth
Hold the tooth by the crown, never touch the roots.  Rinse the tooth if it's dirty, but do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments.  If at all possible, gently hold the tooth in the socket.  If it is not possible, put the tooth in a glass of saliva or milk, or even water.  Take the tooth with the patient to the dentist as soon as possible.

?    Lost filling or crown
If you have lost a filling, don't try to put it back in the tooth, however, if possible take the remaining piece to the dentist.  He may be able to determine why it fell out and may even be able to recement it in the tooth.  Cover the tooth with a temporary material, such as dental wax, and get to the dentist as soon as possible.
If you lost a crown, try to salvage it.  If possible, use a temporary adhesive to put the crown back in place.  You can use vaseline, denture adhesive, or a temporary dental cement, and then get to the dentist as soon as possible.

?    Object stuck between teeth
Gently try to dislodge the item stuck between the teeth by flossing.  Avoid the gums so you don't cut them.  Never use any kind of sharp instrument to try to get the object out.  If you cannot get the object out by flossing, contact your dentist and get in as soon as possible.

?    Toothache
Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean it out and floss to dislodge any debris that may be causing the toothache.  Take over the counter medication in the recommended dosages to ease the pain.  Continue to take the pain pills at the correct time intervals even if the pain eases to prevent it from returning.  Never put any pain killers directly against the tooth because it can burn the gum tissue.  If the toothache persists, contact your dentist.

Dental emergencies are sure to happen no matter how much you try to prevent it.  However, knowing what to do in each situation will save a lot of time and energy because you will be prepared to handle it.