If you’re having a dental emergency, don’t wait to get the care you need. Get in touch with us as soon as possible to speak with our team and save your smile! Unsure if you’re having a dental emergency? Keep reading.
A dental emergency is when an injury, damage, or other oral health problem is putting you in severe pain, risking your health, and requires immediate treatment. Common examples of dental emergencies include injuries like dental trauma that have damaged, loosened, or knocked out your teeth.
However, other less obvious examples of dental emergencies include uncontrolled bleeding, signs of infection, severe pain in the teeth or jaw, and lacerations to the inside of your mouth. If you aren’t sure if your situation qualifies as a dental emergency, contact us at Suncoast Dental Center today by calling (239) 566-2255.
Dr. Lowell will speak to you about your symptoms and ask you a series of questions to help you determine if you need immediate treatment or if it can wait until the next available appointment.
If you lose a tooth, place it in cold milk while you head to your emergency appointment.
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In a dental emergency, perhaps the most important thing to remember is to remain calm. Everything is going to be okay as long as you don’t panic. It is easier to respond and improve the situation if you stay level-headed.
Contact our dentist in Naples as soon as possible to let us know that you need immediate emergency treatment so we can prepare to accommodate you. Explain the situation and all of your symptoms so Dr. Lowell can instruct you on the best course of action.
If you have knocked out a tooth, you need to locate the tooth and rinse it off if it’s dirty. Knocked-out teeth can be reattached if you try to reinsert them immediately after they fall out. This can be done by gently pressing it into the socket while biting down.
Keep in mind that you should only hold a knocked-out tooth by the crown, not the root. If you are unable to reattach it, just store it in a container or Ziploc bag filled with milk or saliva. This will keep the tooth alive until you get to the dentist.
After contacting our office, get here as soon as possible and bring the tooth with you so we can see if we can re-stabilize it or if it needs to be replaced. In response to any injury, you should rinse your mouth with salt water to remove debris and bacteria. You may need to take pain medication and apply a cold compress if there is swelling.
Telltale signs of tooth infection are swelling and an abscess. If you notice these signs along with significant tooth pain, you likely have a tooth infection which requires immediate treatment to stop the spread and save your teeth.
This is a very common dental emergency that results from untreated tooth decay. Other examples of common emergencies include oral injuries or dental trauma that cause damage to your teeth, significantly loosen them, or knock them out.
You need to get to the dental office right away to save your teeth. If you have symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth such as severe jaw pain, headaches, sinus problems, cysts, repeated infections, or damage to your surrounding teeth, this is also an emergency and you may need to have these wisdom teeth removed.
Believe it or not, a toothache can be an emergency in itself if it is severe and debilitating. A normal toothache is not an emergency but if it is not responding to pain medication and is interfering with your ability to eat, speak, or do other normal activities, this is a sign of a deeper problem. Any significant injuries such as lacerations and bleeding in the mouth should be treated as an emergency to prevent further damage.