Emergency Dentistry

Emergency dentistry is focused on managing emergency dental situations. Emergencies, by their very nature, are unplanned and an emergency dentist is ready to treat you right when your emergency arises.

What is Considered a Dental Emergency?

  • Extreme, persistent dental pain
  • A knocked-out tooth
  • An object stuck between your teeth
  • Broken or fractured tooth
  • A deep cut to your gums, cheek, lips, or tongue

What Do I Do If I Have an Emergency?

  1. Don’t Panic
  2. Administer First Aid
  3. Call Us

What Do You Mean By “First Aid”?

There are many steps you can take to help control the emergency until you can get into our office. Here are some examples:

Knocked-Out Tooth

  • Don’t touch the tooth by the root. The root is sensitive and easily damaged.
  • Gently rinse the tooth to remove any dirt.
  • Try to re-insert into socket.
  • If you can’t re-insert, keep the tooth moist. Place it in a cup with milk, or keep it in your mouth, under your tongue or between your cheek and gums.
  • Call us.

Object Stuck Between Teeth

  • Try to remove gently with dental floss.
  • Do not try to remove with a sharp object, such as tooth pick or a knife.
  • Try using a water pick, if one is available.
  • If you can’t remove the object safely, call us.

Broken or Fractured Tooth

  • Rinse your mouth with warm water.
  • If you have swelling, apply a cold compress to your cheek.
  • Consider taking acetaminophen (not aspirin) for pain management.
  • Do not apply aspirin (or any pain killer) directly to you tooth or gums.
  • Call us.

A Deep Cut to Gums, Cheek, Lips, or Tongue

  • Clean the area with warm water.
  • Put pressure on the wound using gauze. If the cuts on the tongue, gently pull it forward, then add pressure with gauze.
  • Call us immediately.

Abscess

  • Consider taking ibuprofen to minimize pain and swelling.
  • Rinse your mouth with warm water.
  • Gargle with warm saltwater or mouth rinse.
  • Apply a cold compress to cheek/jaw, to minimize swelling.
  • Call us immediately. An abscess or infection can be dangerous and should be taken care of right away.

Here in Your Time of Need.

Emergency situations are fluid and, often, inconvenient. You want a dental office you can trust. Parkway Dental takes emergencies seriously. We’re here to help. Call us now!