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What to Expect With Emergency Dental Care

Your dentist should be the first person you call if you have a dental emergency. At Gentle Dental Group, we are proud to offer patients 24-hour emergency dental care services Bethlehem. Most dentists set aside time for emergency procedures. Be sure to keep our contact information handy in case you ever need us for a dental emergency! 

Whether at home or traveling, the following suggestions will help you treat a dental emergency before you can get to the dentist. It is important to note that for certain dental emergencies, seeing a dentist within 30 minutes or less can mean the difference between saving or losing your tooth. That’s why we recommend coming in to see your Bethlehem dentist for same-day appointments when an emergency arises. 

Knocked-Out Tooth

A knocked-out tooth is a dental emergency that needs immediate treatment. If the necessary emergency steps are taken soon after the tooth has been knocked out, the chances are very high that the tooth will be reinserted and saved by a dentist.

  1. Pick up the tooth by the top (crown) of the tooth. Do not strike the root(s) of the tooth.
  2. Rinse the tooth off very gently to ensure that it’s clean. Do not clean the tooth or cut any tissue attached to it. Be sure to put a towel or washcloth in the sink so that the tooth does not go down the drain.
  3. If you can, gently put the tooth back into the socket. Keep it softly in place when attempting to bite down.
  4. If you can’t place the tooth back in the socket, put the tooth in a small tub or in a cup of milk.
  5. Call your dentist office in Bethlehem Ga immediately, because getting to the dentist quickly with your tooth – in addition to following the steps above – is vital for saving the knocked-out tooth. The longer you wait to re-implant the tooth in its socket, the less chance you have of the tooth “taking” and remaining viable.

Loose Teeth

If you have a tooth that is loose or out of place, you can contact your emergency dentist Bethlehem appointment right away. In the meantime, you should try to place the tooth back in its original position using your finger with very light pressure. Do not try to push it. You should bite down to prevent the tooth from moving. Dr. Uyen Hoang may want to splint the tooth to the adjacent teeth (the teeth on either side) to keep it stabilized.

Chipped, Broken, or Fractured Teeth

If a tooth is chipped and doesn’t hurt, this typically does not constitute a dental emergency. However, it is important to be careful when chewing so as not to chip it further. We can smooth the chip out, or apply some composite filling material to patch the tooth.

A broken or fractured tooth is a significant problem constituting a dental emergency. Fractured or broken teeth typically indicate that damage has occurred to the inside of the tooth. Additionally, it could occur to the outside, too. If you suffer a broken tooth, contact your dentist immediately for an emergency appointment and follow these steps:

  • Clean your mouth out by gently rinsing thoroughly with warm water.
  • If the fracture is caused by facial trauma, apply a cold compress to the region to minimize any swelling.
  • Take acetaminophen (not aspirin) according to the package instructions to relieve pain.
  • Never apply a painkiller to the gum because it can burn the gum tissue.
  • An X-ray would be required in order for your dentist to better diagnose the condition of your tooth. If the soft tissue inside of the tooth (the tooth pulp) is damaged, your tooth can need a root canal. If the pulp is not harmed, the tooth might just require a crown.

Some dentists make some of their permanent crowns in-office and put them in the same day; other dentists use an outside laboratory to make the crown. In this situation, you will have to wear a temporary crown while the laboratory makes a permanent crown. If the tooth cannot be saved, your dentist will notify you of the different options for restoring missing teeth, such as implant-supported restorations and bridges.

Tissue Damage and Facial Pain

Every type of injury inside the mouth, such as puncture wounds, lacerations, and tears to the lips, cheeks, mouth, and tongue, are considered tissue injuries and a dental emergency. If you experience some form of tissue injury, it is necessary to clean the area immediately with warm water. If the bleeding is coming from the tongue, gently pull the tongue forward. Then, place pressure on the wound using gauze. You can get to an oral surgeon or nearest hospital emergency room as soon as possible.

To relieve any form of facial pain associated with tissue injury, you can take acetaminophen as directed on the package label. We asked our friends over at Green Dental Care what else they recommend to their patients. Dr. Green, emergency dentist Parker CO, strongly recommends that patients never take aspirin or ibuprofen for a dental emergency because they are anticoagulants, which can cause severe bleeding.

Dental Emergency? Contact Gentle Dental Group Today

If you’re experiencing any of the above dental emergencies, we highly recommend contacting our team as soon as possible. We offer same-day dental emergency appointments to our wonderful patients. Contact our gentle dentistry today.