If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please call our office as soon as possible. Until you meet with your dental professional, stay calm and do the following things:
• Knocked-out Tooth: If you have knocked a permanent tooth out of your mouth, please retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown, and rinse it with warm water if it’s dirty. Then, if possible, try and put the tooth back into the gum socket without forcing it. If you cannot do so, please put the tooth in a glass of milk or in a cup of water until you meet with your dentist. It is very important that you see a dental professional within an hour of your tooth falling out of your mouth.
• Partially Dislodged Tooth: If you have a partially dislodged, or extruded, tooth, there is not much you can do before you see your dentist. To relieve pain, you can take over-the-counter pain medication and you can ice the affected area.
• Chipped or Broken Tooth: If you have chipped or broken your tooth, try to save as many pieces of the tooth as possible. If they are dirty, you can wash the pieces with warm water. To stop any bleeding and to reduce any swelling, place a gauze pad over the area and ice it with an ice pack or cold compress.
• Toothache: If you have a toothache, you can try and dull the pain by rinsing your mouth with warm water. Then, floss between each tooth and free any excess food that may be stuck. If this doesn’t help, you might have a decayed tooth. Until you see the dentist, you can take over-the-counter pain medication to help with the pain. Please do not put the medication directly on or around the gums near the aching area. If you do, it will burn and damage the gums.
• Lost Crown: If you have lost a dental crown, please bring the crown with you when you come in for an appointment. If your tooth is bothering you, you can gently cover it with clove oil to relieve the pain. As a temporary measure, you can coat the inside of the crown with over-the-counter dental cement or with toothpaste and you can slip the crown back over your tooth. Please do not use super glue.
• Lost Filling: If you have lost a filling, you can temporarily solve the issue by placing a sugarless piece of gum in the cavity of your tooth. For a better solution, you can fill the hole with over-the-counter dental cement.
If you have any questions or if you need any help, please feel free to call our office and talk to a member of our team. We are thrilled to give you the comfort and answers you need!