Our team understands that the very nature of an emergency is inconvenience. As your dedicated family dental healthcare providers, we're here for you in these stressful times. Please call our office immediately to request an emergency care visit if you experience a severe toothache, knock out a tooth, badly damage your teeth, or find yourself in another precarious dental situation. We do our very best to see emergency cases immediately. If you experience intense bleeding or your emergency extends beyond dental care, please go to the nearest emergency room for assistance.
Some situations can be remedied or improved by following a few simple tips. While these suggestions to not solve all problems, they offer first-aid care until you can come to our office or your local emergency room.
Temporary Crown Falls Out
If your temporary falls out and you still have it, dry your natural tooth, apply a small dab of toothpaste to the temporary and reattach it. You may also use dental wax or temporary adhesive, available at most pharmacies. Please call our office so that we can professionally reattach your temporary as soon as possible.
Knocked Out Tooth
Rinse the tooth gently under water to remove debris. Place the tooth into the socket it fell from and hold it in place until you get to our office. Otherwise, put the tooth into a Baggie of mild and bring it to us so that we can determine whether reattachment is possible.
Cut/Bitten Tongue or Lip
Thoroughly clean the cut, then hold a cold compress against it. If bleeding does not stop, go to your local emergency room. You may need stitches.
Broken Tooth
A cracked or broken tooth should be rinsed immediately with warm water. Then hold a cold compress against the affected tooth to reduce swelling while on your way to our office for assistance.
Possibly Broken Jaw
If you think your jaw may be broken, apply a cold compress and proceed to your local emergency room immediately. If you lost or damaged teeth during your injury, please call us, as well.
Severe Toothache
Rinse your mouth and the area around the tooth, then floss around the tooth to make sure that debris is not causing the pain. Do not put an aspirin on the tooth because it can damage your gum tissue. Call our office for an appointment if the pain persists.
Something Caught Between Teeth
Use dental floss to gently remove the debris, and be sure that you don't cut your gums with the floss. Do not use a sharp instrument to dislodge the debris. If floss doesn't help, call our office for an appointment.
What do powdered fruit, talc, honey, dried
flowers, mice and lizard livers have in common? They have all
been ingredients in ancient toothpaste and powder. Yum.
Attention Chocolate Lovers…Many dentists
agree raisins can cause more tooth decay than chocolate. Sticky
foods such as raisins and dried fruits can stay on the teeth
longer and develop more decay.
According to a study at the University of
Connecticut, too much toothpaste early in life is responsible
for more than 70% of fluorosis cases (staining or mottling of
tooth enamel that develops when children swallow fluoridated
toothpaste). Although this problem is only cosmetic, it is recommended
children under six only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste
and be reminded to spit it out after brushing.
