Dental emergencies can happen when you least expect them—during a family dinner, a weekend soccer game, or simply while enjoying your day. While some dental problems can wait for a routine appointment, others require prompt attention to relieve pain, prevent infection, or save a tooth. If you’re unsure whether your situation is an emergency, please contact our office. We’d much rather answer your questions and help you decide on the next steps than have you worry at home.
As soon as the pain begins or trauma occurs, make sure to give us a call so we can book you in right away, to allow us to investigate get get you out of pain as soon as possible
Using modern imaging technology, we get a detailed view of the teeth and bone of the affected area to assess the trauma, nerves and rule out infections.
We will carefully examine the teeth, gums, bite and soft tissues around the area of concern to discern the cause of the pain. We may need to examine the nerves of the teeth too, sometimes using cold, to see if the tooth is still vital.
Once the source of the pain/extent of trauma is diagnosed we will work to either treatment plan to perform the treatment at that visit or we will look to stabilize and manage the pain until we can bring you back to fully solve the problem.
Our goal is always to relieve discomfort, protect your oral health, and help you feel cared for every step of the way. There are many ways to relieve pain or repair teeth, all of which depend on the severity of the case, patient needs and
this can involve anywhere from simple bonding to placement of a crown to help better support the teeth
this usually involves prescribing some antibiotics to help reduce the infection in the bone, followed by either root canal treatment to remove infected bacteria in the tooth or tooth extraction
if a tooth was knocked out, moved into a different position or mobile we may use different measures to stabilize the tooth to allow the bone/ligaments of the tooth to heal
Sometimes if the case is very severe, we may need to refer you to a specialist or the hospital to further manage your case.
You should contact our office as soon as possible if you experience: a severe or persistent toothache or swelling of the gums/face/ jaw, a knocked-out tooth, a loose or displaced adult tooth, a fractured tooth, trauma to the mouth area, Uncontrolled bleeding from the mouth, signs of infection ( such as swelling, pain, fever, or a bad taste in the mouth) or a lost filling, crown, or dental restoration causing pain or sensitivity
Even if discomfort seems minor, dental problems often worsen when left untreated. Early care can help prevent more complex treatment and get you feeling better sooner. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something needs attention. Whether it’s a cavity, infection, cracked tooth, or injury, prompt dental care can help prevent complications and protect your long-term oral health. Seeking treatment quickly may relieve the pain, prevent infection from spreading, save the tooth or surrounding teeth from more extensive treatment.
Kids are experts at having adventures and sometimes those adventures involve bumps, falls, and collisions. Dental injuries are common during childhood, especially during sports and playground activities.
If your child experiences a blow to the mouth, we recommend contacting our office even if everything appears normal. Some injuries may not be immediately visible, and early evaluation can help identify problems before they become more serious.
If a baby tooth is injured stay calm and comfort your child. Then control any bleeding with gentle pressure using clean gauze or cloth and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. Finally contact our office for advice and an examination. Unlike adult teeth, baby teeth are generally not reimplanted (don’t try to put it back where it came from) if knocked out because doing so may affect the developing permanent tooth underneath.
If an adult tooth gets knocked out it is much more serious, carefully pick up the tooth by the crown (the chewing surface), not the root. If dirty, gently rinse it with milk or saline and avoid scrubbing , then place the tooth back into the socket and have your child gently bite on a clean cloth. You have the best chance of saving the tooth if it is put back in within 15 minutes, but you may be able to save it within the first hour if you act quickly and carefully.
If reimplantation isn’t possible, store the tooth in the patients mouth (saliva), milk or saliva until you are able to see the dentist. After any injury to a tooth look out for tooth discoloration, Increased sensitivity, swelling, pain when biting or changes in tooth position Even if your child feels fine, follow-up care may be recommended to ensure the tooth and surrounding tissues are healing properly.
Remember: when in doubt, give us a call. It’s always better to have a dental concern checked than to wait and wonder.
