Tooth-fixing helpline draws huge response in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: If you happen to break your teeth, don't fret. Just put them in some milk or coconut water and scuttle off to a dentist - so advises a newly launched helpline here.

The oral health sciences department at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has started the unique 24-hour emergency helpline - 9914208717 - dedicated to saving broken or fractured teeth.

"A helpline to attend trauma cases related to teeth was the need of the hour. We have observed that cases of dentofacial trauma that affect patients' teeth and facial structure has increased manifold in the last few years," Ashima, senior faculty member, paediatric dentistry, PGIMER, told IANS.

The helpline will be managed by a four-member team of senior doctors.

"Broken and fractured teeth are the most common cases. Earlier, we used to hardly get one or two such cases in a month but now we are getting two cases of broken teeth and three to four cases of fractured teeth every week," said Ashima.

Alarmingly, most of these cases involve children or teenagers who incur injury because of some scuffle, fall or accident, she said.

The department is one of the most modern and well-equipped departments, with over 40 physicians attending to hundreds of patients everyday.

"Damaged teeth can be successfully re-implanted if they are preserved well and are cautiously taken to the physician in a short time," said Ashima.

"We give tips on how to protect broken teeth. Generally, people wrap broken teeth in paper, but that is wrong as they should be kept in milk, coconut water or even in the mouth so that they do not lose moisture."