If you’re having a dental emergency, don’t wait to get the care you need. Get in touch with us as soon as possible to speak with our team and save your smile! Unsure if you’re having a dental emergency? Keep reading.
.png)
.png)
.png)
I think it's an emergency. What do I do?
Proper intervention during a dental emergency can save your smile, but it may be difficult to determine if you're experiencing an emergency. The following signs and symptoms could indicate a dental emergency:
- Persistent pain with an unidentified cause
- Pain that you can't treat on your own
- An injury to your mouth or teeth
- Fallen teeth or dental work
If you’re still unsure, give us a call and someone on our team will help determine if you need to be seen right away. We'll guide you through self-care in the meantime.
Did you know…
If you lose a tooth, place it in cold milk while you head to your emergency appointment.
Ready to
schedule your appointment?
Digital X-Rays & Imaging
Better diagnostics means better results. With modern imaging techniques, we can quickly and accurately assess your dental emergency, and create a treatment plan right away, so you can relieve your dental pain and get back to your life.
Problem-Focused Exams
When issues arise, our team can perform problem-focused exams (also known as limited exams) to help address the issues. Limited exams allow us to focus on what’s hurting or injured so we can get you out of pain and back to normal again.
Walk-in Appointments
During a dental emergency, everything can happen so fast. If you can’t get to a phone, or just need to get help right away, you can walk right into our office and get a plan to get out of pain as soon as possible.
The Benefits of Emergency Dentistry
Relieve Your Pain
Pain is a sign that something is wrong, and there’s no reason why you have to live with it.
Restore Your Bite
Fix any dental issues like cracked, chipped, or missing teeth, and get your smile back.
Prevent Further Complications
Emergencies, like tooth infections, can lead to more severe issues, so get treated early and avoid more complex problems.
What do I do in a Dental Emergency?
Keep Calm & Reduce Bleeding
Any dental injury can turn a regular day into a stressful, painful situation. However, it’s important to stay calm, and remember that your dentist is here to help. Just taking a few deep breaths and assessing the situation will make it easier to make the right decisions in an emergency. If your dental injury or accident has caused bleeding of any kind, apply pressure with a sterile strip of gauze to the afflicted area. Keep the gauze in place until the bleeding stops, or until you reach our office.
Control Swelling & Pain
Over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help to temporarily alleviate any pain or swelling you may be experiencing. However, it’s important to avoid blood-thinning medications like aspirin, as they inhibit clotting and make it difficult to control the flow of blood. In addition to medication, you can also relieve pain with a cold compress by applying an ice pack to the cheek or lip near the affected area.
Call Us Right Away
Once you’ve gained control of your dental emergency, give us a call. Even if you’re unsure if your situation counts as an emergency, our team can help assess the severity of the injury, and get you in our office as soon as possible to receive the care you need.
Before & Afters
A smile is worth 1,000 words.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I’ve knocked out a tooth?
%402x%20(2).svg){kind=icon}
To recover your tooth, make sure to pick it up by the top (the crown) instead of by the bottom (the root), in order to minimize the risk of causing any additional damage. Next, rinse it with warm water to clean off any debris, being careful not to rub it with anything abrasive. Finally, try to place the tooth back in its socket if it will go back in with minimal effort. Don’t try to force it into place, otherwise you may cause further damage. If you can’t put it back in the socket, store it in a container of cold milk to keep it hydrated on your way to the dentist.
If this is a serious emergency, like a knocked-out tooth, try not to spend too much time on pain management. To save your tooth and avoid needing prosthetics, the tooth must be replaced and splinted within 1-2 hours. Call us right away to get immediate guidance about how to handle your dental emergency, and to ensure we are prepared for your visit.
What should I do if my dental work has fallen out?
If possible, put all of your dental work in a plastic bag or container, and be sure to bring it with you. Call us immediately to schedule an emergency visit so we can address it as soon as possible.
Even though it’s not a natural tooth, losing a piece of dental work can expose vulnerable parts of your mouth to bacteria, which can trigger an infection, cause further decay, or lead to additional complications. Losing any dental work is a serious issue, and should be treated right away, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us as soon as you can. We will do everything we can to get your smile back in shape with restorative dental work.
What should I do about a severe toothache?
If you experience a toothache that lasts for 2 or more days, it could be a sign of tooth infection, which is a serious dental emergency. If your tooth is infected, you may require root canal therapy to save your tooth.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you’re having a severe toothache. To manage your pain before visiting our office, you can apply a cold compress to your cheek, take over-the-counter pain medication, or apply a topical product, like Orajel, to numb the tooth and relieve the pain.
What should I do about a chipped, broken or cracked tooth?
Without a professional oral exam, it is difficult to know how severe a chip, break, or crack in your tooth really is. When left untreated, broken or cracked teeth can easily become infected and cause additional, preventable complications.
The best thing to do if you crack, chip, or break a tooth is to give us a call and visit our office as soon as possible. We will examine your injured tooth to determine the extent of the damage, and offer guidance and recommendations about how to restore and protect your smile, and relieve your dental pain.
What should I do about a loose tooth?
If a dental injury has left you with a loose tooth, get in touch with us today to schedule a same-day appointment. Left untreated, the nerves supporting your tooth could die, causing the tooth to fall out entirely. Don’t hesitate to reach out, we are here to help!
Once you’ve scheduled your appointment, try to avoid touching the loose tooth with your tongue or fingers, as it’s important to keep the tooth as stable as possible. When you arrive at our office for emergency care, your dentist will attach the loose tooth to the adjacent teeth with a stabilizing splint. The splint will provide support for the tooth, allowing the healing process to begin so the tooth can re-attach itself to your gums.
.webp)