Steps to Take After Calling an Emergency Dentist

In our emergency dentist office, we understand that life can throw curve balls and when it does, it is important to have someone to care for you and your family.  In our office, we are available to help treat your dental emergency after hours and on the weekend.  If you have physical injuries as well, head to the ER first, otherwise call our office instead.  The ER doctors are not equipped to deal with dental problems so visiting them will only get you a referral to a dentist.
If you have a dental emergency, call our office then take these steps:

• Rinse your mouth.  It is important to gently rinse your mouth with water.  If possible use salt water since that is a natural antiseptic.  Spit out the blood and see if your mouth stops bleeding or if it continues to do so. This will give you an idea of the condition of your teeth and mouth along with the severity of your injuries.
• Locate your tooth.  If your tooth has been knocked out, try and locate it.  There are times where we can save your tooth in our emergency dentist office.  In order to make this a possibility, you must locate the tooth, rinse it in water without scraping anything off of it, and place it into a cup of milk.  The calcium in the milk will help to preserve the tooth, and if you get here fast enough, we may be able to save it.
• Use ice.  Whenever your mouth is injured, it will naturally swell.  We suggest using ice to help alleviate the swelling, which will also make your face, jaw, and mouth more comfortable.  Place an ice pack on the injured area for fifteen minutes at a time, with a fifteen-minute break in between.
• Take medicine.  If you are experiencing intense discomfort, use ibuprofen to help alleviate it while also reducing the swelling.  Just be sure to avoid aspirin since that is a blood thinner that can only make the problem worse, especially in advance of an emergency dental procedure. 
• Use gauze.  If your mouth continues to bleed, find some gauze and place it in your mouth on the way to our emergency dentist office.  This may help it to stop and at the very least, will make you more comfortable. 

We have found that it is incredibly common to injure a tooth.  While it is made of hard enamel, teeth are still brittle, and something like a car wreck or sports injury can leave your teeth broken or chipped.  According to the American Dental Association the most common cause of a tooth injury is playing sports, something that most adults don't consider dangerous.  With that in mind, we recommend wearing a mouth guard while playing or practicing so that you can stay safe and prevent a tooth injury whenever possible.  We also suggest having your teeth cleaned regularly since healthy teeth are stronger and less likely to become damaged.  Still, if an emergency strikes, call our emergency dentist office for a fast appointment.

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