Do I Have a Dental Emergency?
When an emergency happens, our dentists are here to help.
It's not always easy to tell whether you're experiencing a dental emergency. Here's a list of common dental emergencies that should be treated as soon as possible. Call our dental clinic right away to schedule an appointment.
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Severe Swelling, Pain or Discomfort
If you notice a small injury in your sensitive soft tissue or if you experience sudden moderate to severe swelling on your face and mouth, call us as soon as possible. It is important to have any gum or mouth pain treated right away.
The precise diagnosis and treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the pain or discomfort, which may be related to infection, gum disease or injury. Your dentist may need to clean the wound, prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection, or place stitches.
While you should get to the dentist as soon as possible for heavy bleeding, if the bleeding is less severe you may be able to take steps such as:
- Rinsing your mouth out with salt water to clean the wound
- Applying gauze to stem the flow of bleeding in your mouth
- Applying a cold compress or ice pack to reduce swelling
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Lost Fillings or Crowns
The first thing you should do if you lose a filling or a crown is to call our office as soon as possible. Try to identify and find any broken or lost fillings or crowns. Rinse and attempt to place it back on your tooth.
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Chipped or Broken Teeth
If your tooth is broken, chipped, or fractured, call our office right away to have it repaired. Try to find the missing tooth, put it in a clean container and bring it to your appointment. Your dentist may be able to glue the fragment back on to the tooth.
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Knocked-Out Teeth
If you can find your knocked out tooth, rinse, hold it by the crown - not the roots - and re-insert it into your tooth socket by gently biting down once it is in its place. Try to keep it moist by putting it in a glass of milk or holding it in your mouth.
Take an over-the-counter pain medication. If you are bleeding, do not take aspirin. Apply a cold compress against your cheek where your tooth has been fractured. This will help reduce your pain and the swelling.
Call us right away to schedule an appointment. The sooner you can be treated after a tooth has been knocked out, the better the chance your dentist will have of saving it.
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