Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
Dental emergencies are an unfortunate part of life. You might bite into something and break a tooth, altering the appearance of your smile. Perhaps you damaged or lost a restoration, causing pain. For some patients, pain is the first symptom they experience and it can disrupt your schedule, sleep, and even cause you to miss work.
Many people head straight to hospital when they have tooth pain. Often, the hospital will treat the symptoms, but cannot treat the problem.
Call our office instead.
We’ll get you in quickly, repair your smile, relieve your pain, and come up with a treatment plan for your future oral health. Of course, if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please go to your local emergency department first.
Common Dental Emergencies
What are the most common reasons that people need emergency dental care?
Sudden Tooth Pain – Significant tooth pain with no apparent cause often results in an emergency dental visit. Tooth pain should never be ignored.
Many serious conditions can cause tooth pain including:
• A broken tooth or restoration
• Cavities that have penetrated deep into the tooth
• Advanced gum disease
• An abscessed tooth
• Exposed tooth roots
• An impacted tooth
Treating these symptoms quickly may provide a better outcome.
Chipped or Fractured Teeth – A damaged tooth can create anxiety, especially if it is noticeable when you smile. Your tooth may become weak if you have internal decay or if you suffer from a nighttime clenching and grinding habit. When patients tell us they broke a tooth biting into something like a piece of bread, it is usually because of some type of pre-existing structural damage.
Lost Teeth – Lost teeth due to a sports or auto injury are common. In some cases, we can replace the tooth if we can get to it fast enough, but sometimes a lost tooth will have to be replaced with a dental implant or a bridge.
Our chances of saving the tooth are best if you retrieve the tooth and quickly rinse it with cool water, avoiding the root area. Try to replace the tooth back in the socket, but don’t force it. If the tooth can’t be replaced in the socket, keep it in a glass of milk.
Other Dental Emergencies
Some of the other reasons we would need to see you quickly include:
• A tooth has become dislodged (but not fully knocked out).
• An object is stuck between your teeth that can’t be removed with brushing or dental floss.
• A filling or crown has fallen out.
• You are experiencing a dental abscess (infection).
• You have injured your gums or palate.
Call our office for an appointment for any dental emergency.
