Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? The answer might surprise you; toothaches sometimes warrant a same-day visit to our office. If your gums are bleeding, it hurts to bite down, or your toothache persists for more than 24 hours, you should get in touch with us ASAP to schedule an appointment.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Scheduling an appointment with us is always a top priority. If you have a few hours or a few days until your appointment, then do what you can to protect your tooth from further harm. That includes rinsing periodically with warm saltwater, sticking to soft foods, and not chewing on that side of your mouth.

How We Treat Toothaches If your toothache is stemming from a small cavity, then we can remove the damaged tissue and restore your tooth with a dental filling. Of course, if the root has been “killed” by an infection, then we will need to intervene with more extensive restorative care, like a root canal.

Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Not always. With that said, your tooth will not regenerate, and it’s possible for an infection to develop or for the chip to get larger. So, it’s always a good idea to call us the same day, even if it’s simply to get an appointment on the calendar before the end of the week.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth In addition to calling us, we recommend avoiding crunchy foods, sticking to lukewarm water, and using some sugar-free gum to cover your tooth (this will protect the soft tissue in your mouth and prevent dental sensitivity).

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Chipped teeth can actually be treated with a few different services, including cosmetic dental bonding and veneers. At your appointment, we will review the pros of each to help you determine the best option for you.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Since a cracked tooth can develop an infection and is at-risk of breaking further, the answer is “yes!” That’s why we recommend calling us immediately. We need to conduct an exam and intervene with the necessary restorative care as soon as possible.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth To prevent and alleviate discomfort, don’t chew on that side of your mouth, stick to soft foods, and take OTC pain medication as directed. Of course, there are only short-term solutions. To restore your pain-free smile, you need to visit our dentist.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth There are some cases where a dental crown can be used to restore a cracked tooth. Other times, the damage is so severe that saving the tooth is no longer an option. In that case, we need to carefully remove the tooth before putting a dental implant or bridge in its place.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? You might be surprised to hear that dental sensitivity sometimes warrants a same-day visit to our office. If the soreness has persisted for several hours, it seems to be getting worse, or you’re experiencing other abnormal dental symptoms, call us ASAP.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth We recommend first trying a desensitizing toothpaste. If that doesn’t work, give us a call and explain your symptoms. Until your exam with our dentist, do what you can to prevent discomfort from arising, like avoiding crunchy, acidic, and sugary foods.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth That depends! If we determine during your exam that the sensitivity is stemming from decay, then a filling may be the solution. If it’s the result of a large crack, then a dental crown might be ideal.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? A knocked-out tooth is absolutely a dental emergency, so call our office ASAP! In addition to scheduling time for you to come in for treatment with Dr. Bodapati, one of our knowledgeable team members will walk you through exactly what to do in the meantime.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth With a knocked-out permanent tooth, you have the option of placing it back in the socket. If you need to apply force to make that happen or you simply don’t want to take that approach, then submerge the tooth in a clean container filled with milk.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth If the tooth is in good condition, the root surface cells are preserved, and you get to our office within the hour, we will try to save your tooth. If that simply isn’t an option, that’s okay – we can fill the new space in your smile with a dental bridge or implant.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Both a lost filling and a lost dental crown are dental emergencies, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right away. From there, we will guide you through what to do, including when to come to our office for treatment.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown We touched on the first step above: contacting our team. Additionally, we recommend keeping your restoration somewhere safe, rinsing periodically with clean, room-temperature water, and sticking to soft foods, like plain yogurt.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns There’s always the option to simply replace your old restoration with a new one. If your dental crown is relatively new, however, then we may be able to re-cement it back in place instead of having an entirely new one made.

Broken Dentures

Is my broken denture a dental emergency? Yes, having a broken denture is a serious problem, and it requires professional help to fix it. You don’t want to wait to see your emergency dentist, as more serious problems can arise.

How you should handle a broken denture: Instead of trying to wear your broken denture, it’s best if you take it out and avoid wearing it at all. The potential for damaged soft oral tissues increases. Instead, wait until you see a member of our dental team.

How we treat broken dentures: The severity of the break will determine how our team decides to fix your artificial teeth. If the break is only minor, we may not need to replace them but instead use composite resin to keep them intact. However, if they no longer function properly because of the break, we will need to either have new ones created or discuss the option of switching to a dental bridge or dental implants.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a loose permanent tooth a dental emergency? Yes, adults should not have loose permanent teeth, so if this happens to you, don’t delay in calling to schedule an appointment with our team.

How you should handle loose permanent teeth: You don’t want to do anything that will cause your loose permanent teeth to come out, so it’s best to avoid touching or prodding the tooth with your finger or thumb. Also, avoid chewing on the side of your mouth with the loose tooth.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: Treating a loose permanent tooth requires that we first understand the root cause. If advanced gum disease is causing your teeth to loosen, you will need gum disease treatment to eliminate bad bacteria and improve overall gum health. If severe trauma or extensive decay is causing your tooth to become loose, we may need to extract it and replace it with a custom bridge or dental implant to avoid dental drift over time.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? It can be worrisome when dealing with a soft tissue injury; however, these usually heal up nicely on their own. While you are more than welcome to schedule an emergency appointment, it may not be something you need to seek same-day help for.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: If you discover that you cannot stop the bleeding after 10 minutes, go ahead and go to your local emergency room. You will require immediate medical attention to stop the bleeding before seeing a member of our team. Otherwise, once the bleeding stops, you can use a cold compress to alleviate discomfort and swelling.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: If you choose to see us for your soft tissue injury, we’ll determine the severity of the problem and whether you need stitches to help with the healing process. Also, if caused by a sports-related injury, we will likely recommend that you have a custom mouthguard created to avoid similar problems in the future.

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Yes, severe jaw pain is a dental emergency – one that you shouldn’t avoid. Unless you suffer a traumatic injury (i.e., broken or fractured jaw), you may not notice the pain until a serious problem has developed. Nevertheless, you should schedule an emergency appointment the moment you realize something doesn’t feel right with your jaw.

How you should handle jaw pain: While at home waiting for your appointment, do not attempt to eat anything hard or crunchy, as this will only cause more pressure to the jaw joints. Try to minimize opening your mouth wide, and do not engage in unhealthy habits like eating ice or biting down on inanimate objects (i.e., pens and pencils).

How we treat jaw pain: Treating jaw pain requires a clear understanding of the root cause. If we find that you’re grinding your teeth at night, we will suggest a custom nightguard to help create a barrier between your upper and lower rows of teeth so that they don’t touch while asleep. If the problem is related to your bite or another more complex issue, you may be referred for TMJ therapy.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

It’s not typically a dental emergency if you have a piece of food stuck between your teeth. You can remove these objects with warm water and dental floss; however, if you reach for tweezers, forks, or another sharp object, you run the risk of damaging your soft oral tissues. This will then lead to an emergency dentist’s appointment.