Here’s how to best handle a dental emergency.
We know just how stressful a dental emergency can be, but our family dentists Drs. Jin and Sopanis Cho and Dr. Darlene Vaughan believe it’s important to educate patients on what to do when certain emergencies occur. Not seeking prompt dental care can lead to serious complications, which is why you should seek emergency dentistry from our Indianapolis dental team. Some common dental emergencies include,
Toothache
A toothache is often a sign of a cavity or an infected tooth so it’s important to see your dentist right away. While broken bones will heal with time, dental problems will not. In fact, if you ignore a toothache (even if the pain goes away) it will just get worse. If you’re looking for some pain relief before heading to our office you can try,
- An over-the-counter pain reliever
- Rinsing your mouth out with water with a pinch of salt
A Fractured Tooth
It’s important to save any parts of the tooth that may have broken off; as our dental team may be able to save them. If you notice that there is pain or swelling on the side of the face where the fractured tooth is, you can apply a cold compress to your face to reduce pain and swelling until you come into the office. Call your dentist right away, as we provide same-day treatment to those dealing with emergencies such as a fractured tooth.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Time is of the essence when it comes to treating a knocked-out tooth. We can save the tooth but we need you to come into the office right away (like, within 30 to 60 minutes after the incident occurred). The sooner we can treat the tooth the more likely we will be able to place the tooth back into the socket. Before coming into the office here’s what you should do,
- Handle the tooth by the crown always (never the roots) and rinse the tooth off with warm water if there is any debris
- Try to gently place the tooth back into the socket. If it doesn’t go back in, you can place the tooth in a closed container filled with milk.
An Abscess
An abscess is a serious infection that originates near the roots of the tooth but has the ability to spread into neighboring teeth or damaged gum tissue. This is why it’s so important to seek emergency dental care from our Indianapolis dentists if you have an abscess. How do you know that you have an abscess? You will develop a painful pimple-like bump on the gums.
Don’t let a dental emergency leave you stressed out and confused about what to do. The Indianapolis dental team at Glendale Dental Associates is here to provide you with emergency dentistry. Call us right away at (317) 251-0085.