When you have a tooth that hurts, or one that has been knocked out, this means you need to see our team for dental emergency care. Otherwise, your injuries could leave your smile open to the onset of tooth decay and even dental infection! But with treatment in a timely manner, you can enjoy good oral health and full smiles. In today’s blog, your Grand Prairie, TX, dentist talks about how we repair and protect smiles with emergency dentistry, so you can keep smiling with confidence and avoid issues that could threaten smile stability!
Calling Our Team for Dental Emergency Care
You should contact our team right away when you find yourself enduring a dental emergency situation. If the injury happens during our normal business hours, then contact us to see if we can squeeze you in for a same day appointment. If not, we will find a time to see very shortly. If your incident happens outside of our normal business hours, then please call us and leave a message. We will call you back with possible appointment times to see you or your family member for treatment. Remember, even minor chips or cracks could leave teeth vulnerable to issues like tooth decay and infection, so acting fast is essential!
Common Injuries
What are examples of dental emergencies? Essentially, any injury to the teeth or gums that is serious enough to require immediate attention but not life threatening is considered a dental emergency. If you do have an issue that is life threatening, then call 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency room. You should let us know if you have a tooth that is chipped, broken, or cracked. If one is knocked loose or out completely, let us know as soon as possible. You should contact us if a tooth hurts suddenly or if something is caught between teeth. Be sure to let us know if you have damaged orthodontics, prosthetics, or loose or missing dental restorations, such as crowns or fillings.
Easing Your Discomfort
You can take immediate action to help limit discomfort; you can see our team for treatment. For example, for a chipped or cracked tooth rinse with warm water and try to recover any pieces of your tooth if you can. Place it in a sealed container and bring it with you. If you can’t recover any portions of your damaged teeth, don’t worry, we can still repair your tooth. You can then apply a piece of cloth or gauze to the tooth to control bleeding. A cold compress or ice pack to the side of the face can help reduce swelling in the face.
If a tooth is knocked out, take the same steps but also pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root, and put it in a sealed container of milk or salt water. You can rinse it under gently running water to remove any foreign debris, but keep tissues intact. Bring it with you to the office. If something is caught between the teeth, only use floss to try and dislodge it, as anything else could damage teeth or gums.
If you have a compromised dental restoration, then avoid hot or cold foods and drinks and sugary items too, as the exposed tooth is very sensitive. With all of these scenarios, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease discomfort until we can see you for treatment.
Repairing Your Tooth
We will examine your smile with advanced digital imaging so we can assess the extent of your injury and choose the most appropriate treatment option. With a minor chip, we could apply composite resin. Also known as a bonding procedure, this can repair minor damage in one sitting with the same lifelike material we use in our tooth-colored fillings. If you have more substantial damage or a tooth that is fractured, we could offer a custom crown. Made from materials like porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or zirconia, these will be durable and also color-matched to blend with your smile. If there is significant damage to the interior of your tooth you may need a root canal. If a tooth is knocked-out, we will secure back into place. But if this isn’t possible, or if a tooth is severely damaged beyond repair with a crown, we could discuss bridges or dental implants to replace it and ensure a full smile again. If you have damaged orthodontics, we can replace or repair them. The same is true if you have a loose or missing crown or filling, or if your dental prosthetic, such as a bridge or denture, is damaged or compromised by injury.
Preventing Future Injuries
What can be done to lower your risk of dental emergencies? If you play full contact sports or negate in other hobbies that could potentially damage a tooth, then consider a custom mouthguard. We can create one for you based on detailed digital images and measurements we take of your bite. This provides a greater level of protection than the usual boil-and-bite options available at sporting goods stores. You should also take time to brush and floss daily, which helps protect your teeth from the cavities that could weaken them and leave them more vulnerable to injury.
If you have any questions about how we repair your teeth following a dental emergency, or about how we can protect your smile from future injuries, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help you smile with confidence and avoid unnecessary injuries to your teeth and gums, because you deserve a strong and comfortable smile!
Schedule Your Visit Dental Emergency Care
We can offer dental emergency care to repair teeth and protect your smile from major complications down the road, so you can continue to smile with confidence and avoid discomfort and complications like tooth decay and dental infection. When you are ready to schedule your next appointment with our office, contact Pecan Tree Dental in Grand Prairie, TX at 972-262-5111 today. We look forward to helping you and your family smile with confidence for years to come, and to covid cracked, chipped or knocked-out teeth and other dental emergency situations!
