People rarely plan for what to do if they experience dental emergencies, leaving them unprepared and afraid when they do occur. However, this does not have to be the case. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, reach out to our dental team at 832-804-7427 right away. If you are dealing with any of the following, proceed as directed and reach out to a dental health professional.
Oral pain can indicate that there is something wrong with your mouth. If you’re experiencing dental pain, follow the instructions below, then contact your dentist as soon as possible.
Clean out your mouth by rinsing thoroughly with warm water. Gently floss around the tooth to remove any food particles that may be trapped between your teeth or just under your gum line. If your tooth continues to hurt, see your dentist as soon as possible.
For a day or two after braces or retainers have been adjusted, you may experience some discomfort. To help alleviate the pain, rinse your mouth with warm salt water or take pain medication as directed on the packaging label.
Follow the steps below to address small daily concerns that occur occasionally to braces wearers.
If your gums hurt or begin to swell, see your dentist right away. In some cases, pain or swelling can be symptoms of an abscess or infection that forms in gum tissue or a tooth’s root. However, there are many reasons why gums can swell, become painful, or abscess. The only way to identify the underlying cause is a thorough dental exam.
If the abscess ruptures, you may experience a sudden rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting fluid from the swollen or painful area. Rinse your mouth with warm water immediately.
If you’ve chipped or broken a tooth, it may be possible to reattach the pieces to your tooth, but only your dentist can tell you for sure. Take the following steps and see your dentist right away. Remember to take the pieces with you.
Call your dentist right away. If the child’s baby tooth completely comes out of their mouth, we cannot reimplant it in most cases. If this happens, the missing tooth will be replaced naturally when the child’s permanent tooth grows into place.
If you’ve knocked out a tooth, you have a one-to-two-hour window in which the tooth has a chance for re-implantation, but only your dentist can tell you for sure. Take the following steps and see your dentist right away. Remember to take your protected tooth with you.
If a filling or crown is knocked out or otherwise lost, you may experience pain due to the air coming into contact with the exposed part of your tooth. Fortunately, you can address this pain using clove oil, which is available over the counter in pharmacies and supermarkets. Just dip a cotton swab in clove oil and apply it to the exposed part of your tooth.
Putting an ice pack on your face over the area that hurts also may relieve the pain. However, you should also schedule an appointment with your dentist to replace the crown or filling. This action ensures that infections do not invade the cavity.
If you found the filling, put it in a safe place and take it with you when you see your dentist. To make your tooth more comfortable, fill the hole in your tooth with tooth wax or cement (available over the counter at your pharmacy). Do not use any household adhesives, such as super glue, in your mouth.
If you found the crown, you may temporarily replace it yourself until you see your dentist. Gently clean any debris from the inside of your crown. To the inside of your crown, apply denture adhesive, dental cement, or toothpaste before slipping the crown back in place to protect your tooth.
A small cut (less than 1/4 inch) is likely to heal itself. Carefully wipe the area clean with gauze or a cloth and apply a cold compress, ice pack, or small bag of frozen fruit or vegetables to the area to minimize swelling; however, if the cut is larger than 1/4 inch, or if bleeding does not stop after ten minutes of cold treatment, go to the emergency room.
Eating very hot food (like pizza) can burn the roof of your mouth. These painful sores and blisters typically heal on their own. If they have not healed after ten days, see your dentist.
In the meantime, use warm salt water rinses (1/8 of a teaspoon in 8 ounces of water) after meals to keep the area clean. If pain relief is needed, use a topical oral anesthetic (found over the counter at your pharmacy). You can also take acetaminophen as directed on the packaging label.
If you’re reading this and need emergency dental services, don’t wait. Call 832-804-7427, or contact us online and speak with one of our friendly dental receptionists.
