EMERGENCY DENTISTRY

The most important thing you can do during a dental emergency is contact us or come to our office as soon as it occurs. The sooner you can get professional care, the smoother your recovery. If you’re unable to come to our office immediately, here is a list of common dental emergencies and things you can do in the meantime to relieve some of the pain and avoid further damage to your teeth:

• A chipped, cracked, or otherwise broken tooth: If you or a loved one has broken off a piece of a tooth, try to find and collect the broken pieces. It’s possible our office will be able to reattach them.
• A knocked-out tooth: If possible, find the tooth, put it in a bag of milk, and bring it to your appointment for reattachment. Rinse the mouth with warm water to wash out any blood, and stop further bleeding by applying gauze.
• Bleeding in the mouth: If bleeding occurs unexpectedly, rinse the site with warm water and apply a clean towel or gauze to stop the flow if possible.
• Intense tooth pain or toothache, or pain in the jaw: Severe tooth pain, particularly in the root area, is usually indicative of infection. You can apply a hot compress to relieve the pain, but be sure to seek professional help as soon as possible to avoid tooth loss or the spread of infection from one tooth to another.
• Severe swelling: Like pain, swelling may also indicate an infection or disease within the tooth. Apply a cold compress to the swollen area and come to our office for treatment.
• An object stuck between teeth: If you’ve lodged an item between your teeth, take care in attempting to remove it. If removing the object increases the pain or causes intense stress to the surrounding teeth, stop trying, and do not use any other object to try and force it out.

We are ready to help you in the midst of any dental emergency. Do not hesitate to call and get help with your oral health.