Dental emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time. At Garner Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we know how important it is to offer emergency dentistry services for our patients. We get emergency patients in as soon as possible to get their issues taken care of. Dr. Angela Wingate, an experienced dentist in Garner, NC, discusses what constitutes a dental emergency and what to do when it happens to you.
What is a Dental Emergency?
In the case of every dental emergency, call us right away. We’ll get you in as soon as you can to prevent you from losing a tooth or having severe consequences. These are tips for handling dental emergencies until we can get you into our Garner, NC dentist office:
Tooth Pain
One of the most common dental emergencies is tooth pain. This is especially true if it comes on suddenly and is sharp or throbbing. Take an over the counter pain reliever and consider putting a cold compress on the area that’s in pain. Rinsing with warm water can help as well. Tooth pain can be caused by a variety of issues, so we’ll analyze and determine what’s causing it to get it fixed.
A common cause of tooth pain is an abscessed tooth. You’ll have other signs and symptoms, including:
- Swollen gums around the area
- Fever
- Pain while chewing
- New sensitivity to hot or cold food and drinks
A Chipped or Cracked Tooth
While some broken teeth can just be a small cosmetic issue, sometimes it’s much more serious. If a decent part of your tooth is lost, you’ll need help immediately to avoid nerve damage. Try to find the portion of your tooth that broke off if you’re able to. Gently rinse the area, but avoid touching the tooth that was broken. If you’re in pain, take over the counter pain relievers to help.
Getting a Tooth Knocked Out
If your tooth is fully knocked out, try your best to find and salvage it. Be sure not to touch the tooth root when you pick it up — it should only be picked up by the crown. Gently rinse the tooth, again without touching the tooth root. To have a chance of salvaging the tooth, it has to be kept moist. Put it in a cup of milk or your own saliva to bring to your emergency dentistry appointment.
A Broken Restoration
A dental crown, bridge, or denture can get damaged like a normal tooth. Especially if you’re in pain or there are sharp edges where the restoration was broken. Dr. Wingate can assess the damage and determine if an entirely new restoration needs to be made, or if the one you have can still be fixed.
Emergency Dentistry at Your Garner, North Carolina Dentist
If you’re having a dental emergency, call us right away or schedule a next-day appointment online.