Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies are always painful, sometimes unbearable. Immediate treatment is required to control pain and the teeth would survive.

Teeth can be fractured by trauma like biting on hard objects. Crowns, dentures and fillings could be damaged. If you experience severe pain, you need emergency dental treatment immediately. Pain caused by dental emergencies can get worse without dental treatment. Please call us immediately and we will endeavor to accommodate you at the earliest available appointment at our office.

Types of dental emergency and how to deal with them

Avulsed tooth (tooth knocked out)

If a tooth happens to be knocked out, it is recommended that you see a dentist as soon as possible. When a tooth comes out from the mouth, the tissue, nerves and blood vessels become damaged. If the same tooth can be placed back in its socket in the mouth within an hour, there are good chances that the tissue will re-grow around the tooth and it would survive.

The following steps should be taken:

• Immediately call our office.
• Hold the tooth by the crown and rinse it in warm water. DO NOT touch the root.

• If possible, place it back into its socket in the mouth. If that is not feasible, place it into the cheek pouch.
• If the tooth cannot be placed in the mouth, put it into a milk container, saliva or water as a last choice. It is important to keep the tooth moist.
• Come to our office quickly.

We will try our best to replace the tooth in its natural socket. In some cases, the tooth will reattach to blood vessels and nerves but if the tooth is seriously damaged, you may need root canal therapy.

Lost filling or crown

Sometimes, a crown or filling becomes loose while eating. When it comes out from the tooth, the affected tooth may be very sensitive to temperature and pressure changes. Crowns can become loose when the tooth beneath decays. The decay causes changes in the teeth and the crown will not fit anymore.

Cracked or broken teeth

The original teeth are strong but the risk of fractures and cracks always exist. Occasionally, fractures are minimal but if the crack extends down into the root, the pain may become extreme. Fractures, cracks and breaks can take several different forms but are generally caused by trauma, grinding and biting. If a tooth has been fractured or cracked, schedule an appointment as quickly as possible.

The extent of the break or fracture will decide what we are able to do. If a fracture or crack extends into the root, the tooth will need root canal therapy.  When the tooth breaks completely, the dentist will usually fix the fragment back on to the tooth as a temporary measure.

Dislodged/loose teeth

If a tooth gets dislodged or loosened from its socket by trauma or decay, it might be possible to save it. If the tooth remains in the mouth, attached to the blood vessels and nerves, the tooth might need root canal treatment. Call our office immediately for an appointment.