Our priority at Driftwood Dental is to ease your pain. If you have a dental emergency such as a lost a tooth, tooth ache, or lost filling, please call us as soon as possible. We reserve time for emergency situations and with dental pain, it often can’t wait.
In terms of dental emergencies, we've seen it all! Here are the most common dental emergencies and how you can handle them.
Toothache
The first step is to call. To ease your pain, you can take an over-the-counter pain remedy to help make you more comfortable and you can also try holding an ice pack in the area of your face where you’re experiencing pain.
Chipped or broken tooth
Depending on the severity, we may be able to save a broken or chipped tooth.
If it's a small break, our dentists will likely use a white filling to fix your tooth. If the break is more serious, we’ll discuss your options prior to any treatment. You may require a root canal or crown to repair your damaged tooth but that would be determined once the dentist has diagnosed your area of concern.
Knocked out tooth
If you lose a permanent or adult tooth, keep calm and call us as soon as possible. If you’re out of town, call any dental office nearby. Time is critical.
If you can find the tooth, pick it up by the crown (the tooth part) and avoid touching the root. If dirty, wash quickly under cold water and try to replant the tooth and bite down to hold it in position.
If this is not possible, try putting the tooth in a container of cold milk or place in your mouth between your molars and your cheek. Younger patients can swallow so please use your judgment as to how best to transport the tooth. AVOID keeping it in water. Once a tooth is lost, the nerves and blood vessels cannot be repaired. However, the bone can reattach to the root of the tooth once it's put back into place.
Badly bitten lip or tongue
If there is bleeding, use a clean cloth and press down on the part of the mouth that is bleeding. If your lip is swollen, use an ice pack to help keep the swelling down.
If the bleeding does not stop, go to Emergency at a hospital right away.
Lost filling
Put a piece of softened sugarless chewing gum in the spot where the filling was lost. This will protect the area for a short period of time.
Please call as soon as possible to avoid further damage to your tooth.
Something stuck between teeth
Common things that can get lodged between teeth include popcorn kernels, pieces of meat, and corn. First, try using dental floss, very gently and carefully, to remove the object. Never poke between your teeth with anything sharp that can damage your gums or scratch the tooth surface.
If you can't remove the object, please call and we’ll help remove it for you. It’s important not to leave it alone thinking it will go away.
Our priority is to preserve the health of your teeth and gums so please call and we may be able to help you avoid future damage or discomfort.