Dental Emergencies
Emergencies wait for no one.
Whether you are a new patient or an existing patient, if your teeth hurt and the pain is unbearable, it’s important to see a dentist so they can address your pain quickly.
By treating your dental emergency in a timely manner, we can prevent permanent damage and avoid the need for additional, more intensive and costly procedures.
Even if you don’t think your pain is serious, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Please try to contact us at (480) 888-9596
so that we can at the very least chat with you about the pain and see if there is a way to make it better.
If you are traveling or out of town, let us know so we can look through our rolodex of dentists to try and find you some recommendations.
Below, are types of dental emergencies and how to deal with them.
If a tooth has been knocked out, it is essential to see a dentist immediately because the tissues, nerves, and blood vessels become damaged. If a tooth can be placed back into the socket within 1 hour then it is more likely that the tissues will grow to support the tooth again.
Here are some steps to take:
-
Call our office.
-
Pick up the tooth by the crown and rinse it with warm water. DO NOT touch the root.
-
If the tooth cannot be placed in the mouth, put the tooth into a cup of milk, saliva, or water as a last resort. It is important to keep the tooth from drying out.
-
Get to our office, quickly and safely
Our goal is to replace the tooth into its natural socket. In some instances, the tooth will reattach, but if the nerves are severely damaged, a root canal might be required.
A crown or a filling can come loose while eating. Once it is out of the mouth, the affected tooth may be very sensitive to temperature changes and pressure. A crown usually becomes loose if the tooth beneath is decaying. The decay can cause misshapen teeth, meaning the crown will no longer fit.
If your crown has come loose, make an appointment with the dentist as soon as possible and in the meantime, keep the crown in a cool, safe place. There is a chance that the crown can be reinserted.
If we are not immediately accessible, here are some steps you can take:
-
Apply close oil to the tooth to alleviate the pain
-
Clean the crown and affix it onto the tooth with dental cement. This can be purchased at a local pharmacy
-
If the crown is lost, smear the top of the tooth with dental cement to alleviate discomfort.
-
DO NOT use any kind of glue to affix the crown.
During your visit, the dentist will assess the damage and determine whether the crown can fit back on the tooth. Otherwise, a new crown will be made.
Teeth are very durable, but they are still prone to cracks, fractures, and breaks. Fractures can be virtually painless, but if the break extends down to the root, the pain can be extreme and even debilitating. If you have a cracked tooth, you must call the dentist to book an appointment as soon as possible.
Where a segment of the tooth has broken off, follow these at-home steps you can take:
-
Call our office.
-
Rinse the tooth fragment and the mouth with lukewarm water.
-
Apply gauze to the area for ten minutes if there is bleeding.
-
Cover the affected area with over-the-counter dental cement if you cannot see us right away.
-
Take a topical pain reliever.
The nature of the crack or fracture will determine our course of action. If it extends into the root, root canal therapy may necessary to retain the tooth. If there is a complete break, your dentist will usually affix the fragment back onto the tooth as a temporary fix.
If a tooth has been dislodged, either due to trauma or decay it might be possible to save it. If a tooth remains in the mouth and is still attached to blood vessels and nerves, there is a very good chance that root canal therapy will not be needed.
