A dental emergency usually means you are experiencing moderate to severe pain and cannot wait any longer to fix the problem. One of the most common reasons people call our dental office is because of a dental emergency. Dental emergencies occur for many reasons but a common underlying cause is pain in your tooth or gums. Tooth pain is often the result of lack of routine dental treatments like exams, cleanings, and x-rays.
Examples of unplanned dental emergencies include:
- Tooth infection requires root canal therapy
- Wisdom tooth erupts
- Cracked a tooth or crown while eating
- Sporting accidents or injuries
- Loose denture irritates gums
- Loose filling or broken filling
- Swollen gums, bleeding gums or painful gums
What to do:
Toothache - Make an appointment to see us as soon as you feel discomfort or pain.
Broken, chipped, or cracked tooth - Rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to your face. Come see us right away. If the tooth was broken or chipped, bring the tooth fragment wrapped in wet gauze or a wet towel.
Loosened or knocked-out tooth - If your tooth becomes loose due to trauma, call us. For a knocked out tooth, gently insert the lost tooth back in its socket if possible, holding the tooth by the crown using a clean washcloth. (If the tooth is dirty, first rinse the root but do not scrub it or remove any attached tissues.) If reinsertion isn’t possible, hold the tooth under the tongue and come see us immediately.
Bitten Tongue or Lip - Clean the area with a wet cloth and place a cold compress on the area to reduce swelling. If the bleeding persists or if it is excessive, call us or an emergency center.