If you have a medical emergency, you know that you either call 911 or go to the emergency room. But what about if you have a dental emergency, like if your tooth gets knocked out or breaks into pieces?
Central Davis Dental provides emergency dentistry. Regardless of whether your emergency requires immediate dental care or it’s okay to take a bit more time making your way to us, we can help you.
Types Of Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies range in severity. Some require immediate attention, while others, you can take more time to obtain treatment for.
Some common dental emergencies include:
- Knocked-out teeth
- Cracked teeth
- Broken teeth
- Extreme or chronic tooth pain
- Extreme or chronic jaw pain
- Bleeding/aching gums
- Soft tissue injury
You may also chip a veneer, lose a filling, or break a dental appliance, which do require attention, but not necessarily immediate attention.
What To Do If You Have A Dental Emergency
If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, contact us right away. We treat emergencies as quickly as possible.
While on the way to see us, there are some things that you can do.
- If you have a cracked/broken tooth: you can rinse out your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to reduce the swelling.
- If your tooth was knocked out: you do not want to touch the root of it, only the crown. If it won’t go back into the socket, you can place it into a container of milk and use a cold, wet compress for the bleeding.
- If you have tooth or jaw pain: this depends on the severity of the pain, as this influences whether you go to the dentist or an emergency room. Treatments may include antibiotics, drainage of pus, or a root canal.
- If you have a soft tissue injury: you can clean the area gently with water and apply a cold compress. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need stitches, which you should see a medical professional for.
Should You Go To The Dentist Or The Emergency Room?
Depending on the severity of your injury, you may not know whether it’s better to call your dentist or to go to the emergency room. This varies depending on the dental emergency.
Anything potentially life-threatening is when you call 911 or go to the emergency room. If your dental emergency involves jaw fractures, jaw dislocations, abscesses, or infections that are very swollen or that affect how you can breathe or swallow, or you have serious cuts/lacerations to your face and mouth, you should go to the emergency room.
If your dental emergency does not involve such serious circumstances to your overall health but is serious to your oral health, you should go to the dentist. For example, if you’ve cracked or broken a tooth, had a tooth knocked out, or you have pain from an abscessed or infected tooth that is not affecting how well you can breathe or swallow, you should go to a dentist who specializes in emergency dentistry.
Emergency Dentistry Services
Dental emergencies don’t always happen when your dentist’s office is open. As such, you may panic – but don’t worry. Dentists who provide emergency dentistry services often provide after-hours emergency care. They will typically have options available for how you can contact them or what you should do if you contact them after-hours and are in need of emergency dentistry services.
In the event that you cannot get in contact with your dentist, you can head to your closest healthcare facility to be seen.
Are You Experiencing A Dental Emergency?
Don’t wait in pain or let panic consume you! Contact Central Davis Dental right away. Whether you are an existing patient or someone we’ve never seen before, we’re here to ensure that you receive the emergency dental care you need.