Do I Have a Dental Emergency?

Have you ever wondered why would I need to contact a dentist in an emergency? How do I know if I am having a dental emergency? What do I do in a dental emergency? These questions could be scary if you have not already done your research and understand the steps to follow. If you are in Marietta or the surrounding areas, Pure Smiles Dentistry is just a phone call away to assist you with your dental emergency.

What is a dental emergency?

A dental emergency could be a number of things. Common dental emergencies include toothaches, chipped/broken teeth, knocked-out tooth, partially dislodged tooth, objects stuck between teeth, and soft tissue injuries.

What do I do in a dental emergency?

Here are a few tips to help you in your emergency prior to seeing your dentist. Important Reminder: these tips are a temporary solution until you reach your dentist and have them assist you with your dental emergency.

• Toothaches – Rinse your mouth with warm water and floss to remove any food. If you have a swollen mouth, take a cold compress to the outside of your mouth/cheek.
• Chipped/broken tooth – Save your tooth if you can. Rinse your mouth with warm water and if bleeding apply gauze to the area for 10 minutes. Take a cold compress to the outside of area nearest to the chipped/broken tooth to relieve pain and swelling.
• Knocked-out tooth – Rinse and keep the tooth moist until you get to your dentist. If possible, try putting the tooth back in the socket without touching the root and gently bite down to keep the tooth in place. It is important to only handle the tooth by the top of the tooth. If you cannot put it back into the socket, place the tooth in a small container of milk to preserve the tooth.
• Partially dislodged tooth – Until you get to the dentist, take a cold compress to the outside of the mouth/cheek in the area you are experiencing the pain.
• Objects stuck between teeth – Gently floss the area to try to remove the object. Never use a sharp object to remove the stuck object.
• Soft tissue injuries – These injuries would cause bleeding to the tongue, cheeks, gums or lips. To stop the bleeding, rinse your mouth with warm water and apply gauze to the area for 15 to 20 minutes until the bleeding stops. To control bleeding and pain, hold a cold compress to the outside of the area.

If you are experiencing a dental emergency and live in Marietta or the surrounding areas, Pure Smiles Dentistry will do their best to make sure you are seen as soon as possible during normal business hours.