Emergency Dentistry

Common Questions About Emergency Dentistry

• What is a dental emergency?

  Various types of dental emergencies can happen unexpectedly. These emergencies may include a sudden and excruciating toothache, an accident that results in a chipped or cracked tooth, a damaged or loose restoration, or a lost or damaged tooth. According to statistics, about 22 percent of people have experienced dental or oral pain in the last six months. To determine if your situation is an emergency, you may consider the following questions:

  • Are you suffering from severe pain or experiencing severe swelling in the affected area?
  • Do you have a painful toothache that is not subsiding despite trying various home remedies?
  • Have you lost a tooth due to an injury, or is it loose and about to fall out?
  • Do you have swelling in your cheeks or face combined with a toothache?
  • Are you experiencing extreme tooth sensitivity that is affecting your daily routine?
  • Are you bleeding from the mouth that will not stop?
  • Is your jaw injured due to an accident or injury?

  If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it is recommended that you seek immediate dental care. Any dental problem that requires immediate treatment to stop bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or save a tooth is considered an emergency. In addition, severe, life-threatening infections should also be treated as dental emergencies, and you should contact your dental office without delay.

• What should I do if I have a knocked out tooth?

  Don’t touch the roots or top of the tooth as they are delicate. Only pick up and hold your lost tooth by the sides and chewing surface.

  Clean the tooth gently using water or milk to rinse it. Do not try to rub, scrub, dry off, or use soaps or chemicals to clean your lost tooth.

  Put the tooth back in the socket, if possible After gently cleaning it, handle only the sides and bottom of the tooth and softly bite down to keep it there. Ensure that your tooth is adequately oriented and not backward. Do not force it if it won't fit correctly.

  If you can’t put it back, keep it moist. A glass of milk is an excellent option for soaking the tooth. Alternatively, you can softly hold the tooth between your gums and cheek. However, this shouldn't be done with younger children who could swallow the tooth. Do not use tap water to soak the knocked-out tooth because it could damage the roots. If you don't have cow's milk and can't hold your tooth in its socket or your cheek, spitting into a container and soaking the tooth in saliva is the next best option.

  Call a dentist. Time is critical when it comes to reattaching a tooth. Reattaching a tooth an hour or more after it has been knocked out is possible. However, the sooner you can see a dentist, the better the chances of reattaching it.

• What if I have a chipped or cracked tooth?

  If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, you must contact your dentist immediately. Chipped teeth are not painful and can usually be smoothed out or filled in during a regular dental appointment. A cracked tooth, on the other hand, typically indicates that there is damage to the inside of the tooth in addition to the outside. If you have a cracked tooth, you should follow these steps after contacting your dentist:

  1. Rinse your mouth with warm water.
  2. Apply a cold compress to minimize swelling.
  3. Take over-the-counter medication to alleviate pain.
  4. Do NOT apply pain medication, including Orajel, directly to the gums, as it can damage gum tissue.