Emergency Dentistry

What is a dental emergency?

Dental emergencies, while wide-ranging, are often caused by accidents or infections. Emergencies can include severe toothaches, a lost, chipped, or cracked tooth, or even injuries to the mouth’s soft tissues. Answer the following questions to determine if you have a dental emergency.

• What is your pain level? Is it severe or constant? Is there swelling?
• Are you unable to control pain from a toothache?
• Have you lost a tooth, or do you have a loose tooth?
• Is your toothache causing cheek or facial swelling?
• Are your teeth extremely sensitive?
• Are you unable to stop your mouth from bleeding?
• Have you injured your jaw?

If you are unable to stop bleeding, reduce pain, or are at risk of losing your tooth, it is a dental emergency. Severe tooth, gum, or mouth infections, life-threatening if left untreated, are also emergencies.

What’s the best way to handle a dental emergency?

When you have a dental emergency, contacting your dentist is your best option. If it is outside of regular hours or your issue is severe, please go to the nearest emergency room.

While waiting for professional help, you can try a few things that may help you feel better by easing your pain and swelling. Consider trying the following:

• Dissolve a teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water and use it as a mouthwash
• Floss to eliminate pressure from swollen gums
• Use a cold compress on areas with swelling or pain
• Rinse with diluted hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria
• Take over-the-counter pain medication to alleviate pain

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

Avoid touching the roots or the top of your tooth. To avoid damaging it beyond repair, gently pick your tooth up by the crown – the shiny sides and bottom.

Clean your tooth carefully. If your tooth is dirty, rinse it under milk or water. Do this gently because rubbing, scrubbing, or roughly drying off your tooth will damage it. Do not use soaps or chemicals to clean your tooth.

Put your tooth back in place. Now that it’s clean, the safest place for your tooth is back in its socket. You can put the cleaned tooth back in your mouth by picking it up from the sides or bottom and carefully placing it directly into the socket. If it doesn’t feel right, make sure it is facing the correct direction. Reposition your tooth as necessary, then bite down lightly to hold it in place. An adult should help children with this process. We do not advise putting baby teeth back in their socket.

Keep it moist. Sometimes, it’s impossible to put a tooth back in place yourself. In that case, you must keep the tooth moist. Place the tooth in a glass of milk or hold it between your gums and cheek. Even spitting saliva into a container to soak your tooth is helpful. Soaking in tap water is not advised as it can damage the tooth. Do not let children place a loose tooth back in their mouth. Loose teeth are a choking hazard.

Contact your dentist immediately. Saving a tooth is time-dependent. A knocked-out tooth can be reattached within an hour or more. Getting emergency dental treatment quickly gives you a much better chance of keeping your tooth.