While they can be surprising, you don’t need to panic over dental emergencies:
Without a doubt, you should call us when you have a dental emergency. We’ll quickly and gladly address your oral problem, making your grin much healthier as a result. Just don’t forget that you can take steps to manage your situation yourself; doing so would make your care easier. If you’d like to learn how, please click one (or more) of the icons below and use the related instructions.
Toothaches
Toothaches
Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? If you experience a toothache in Weston, our team considers that a dental emergency! Toothaches can indicate that you have a serious oral condition, especially when accompanied by symptoms like dark discoloration, swelling, fever, and the appearance of a small bump near the affected tooth.
How You Should Handle a Toothache: First, call our office to schedule a prompt appointment. Try to describe your symptoms in as much detail as possible so we can provide you with more specific first aid guidance if necessary. Unless our team says otherwise, take over-the-counter pain relievers for your discomfort, and rinse your mouth with salt water to eliminate bacteria.
How We Treat Toothaches: We’ll have to get a good look at your mouth in order to form a diagnosis for your symptoms. Depending on the cause of your toothache, our team might recommend fillings, a dental crown, a root canal, or extraction.
Learn More About Tooth Extractions
Chipped
Tooth
Chipped Teeth
Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Chips aren’t usually as serious as dental cracks, but they should still be addressed promptly. Shallow breakage can increase your risk of experiencing further damage, while more severe chips can make your tooth more vulnerable to infection.
How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth: See if you can find any pieces of your broken tooth. If you store them in a secure container for safekeeping, we may be able to reattach them to your tooth. After your search, contact our team to schedule a timely appointment. Like with a cracked tooth, we recommend avoiding chewing with the affected area until we can provide treatment.
How We Treat Chipped Teeth: Our dental bonding materials are often perfect for restoring a chipped tooth. However, depending on the extent of the damage, veneers may also be a viable option.
Learn More About Veneers
Learn More About Cosmetic Bonding
Cracked
Tooth
Cracked Tooth
Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, even if you can’t see the crack in your tooth, it can increase your risk of infection, further damage, and cause discomfort. Dental cracks expose the more sensitive layers of your tooth to the elements and should be treated right away.
How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth: Call our office and describe the severity of the crack if it’s visible. Depending on your situation, we may recommend covering the crack with dental wax or sugarless gum. Since your tooth will be more vulnerable until it’s treated, you should also avoid chewing with the injured side of your mouth.
How We Treat Cracked Teeth: For extensive damage, we use customized dental crowns. In less severe cases, however, we can restore the tooth with dental bonding or veneers. Rest assured, we’ll outline your options after we get a close look at your tooth.
Learn More About Veneers
Learn More About Cosmetic Bonding
Sensitivity to
Hot & Cold
Very Sensitive Teeth
Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Tooth sensitivity can occur naturally as daily wear and tear thins your enamel. However, it can also be a sign you have a cracked tooth, broken restoration, cavities, gum recession, or infection, all of which are dental emergencies.
How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: Go ahead and call our office if you experience sudden tooth sensitivity – especially if your discomfort is limited to one specific tooth. It’s better to be on the safe side and investigate the cause of your sensitivity sooner than later.
How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: Even if your sensitivity is the result of natural wear and tear, we might be able to help by recommending special toothpaste, applying fluoride treatment, or providing you with veneers. If the underlying problem is more serious, you might need gum disease treatment, a root canal, restoration, or extraction.
Learn More About Gum Disease Treatment
Learn More About Dental Crowns
Learn More About Tooth Extraction
Knocked-Out
Tooth
Knocked-Out Tooth
Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Absolutely! It’s important to act quickly when you lose a tooth in Weston. After one hour, it becomes significantly more difficult to reinsert the tooth into your socket. Plus, knocked-out teeth can be accompanied by oral injury that should be addressed promptly.
How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: If you’re able to find your knocked-out tooth, do not pick it up by the root. Instead, hold it by the crown, gently rinse it with water, and place it in a container with milk or saline. Water can be harmful to dental roots if the tooth is left to soak in it for too long.
How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: We may be able to reinsert your tooth, in which case it will naturally reintegrate with your smile. Otherwise, we can provide you with a quality tooth replacement to restore your oral function and comfort.
Learn More About Dental Implants
Lost Filling
or Crown
Lost Filling or Crown
Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? If you lose a filling or crown, your tooth is at an increased risk of developing an infection. While you might not require same-day attention, we still consider this a dental emergency that should be addressed promptly.
How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: Try to locate your restoration. We may be able to put it back into place or repair it if it’s not severely damaged. Then get in touch with our team to make an appointment and ask whether it’s safe to temporarily recement your crown (we don’t recommend attempting to do this with a filling).
How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: We’ll reattach and repair your restoration if at all possible. If it’s severely damaged or has experienced too much wear, though, we’ll be happy to replace it for you.
Learn More About Dental Crowns
Learn More About Dental Implants
Broken
Denture
Broken Denture
Is a Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Wearing a broken denture can lead to injuries to your gums, tongue, soft tissues, and remaining teeth. If your artificial teeth or the base of your appliance become damaged, call our office to schedule an emergency appointment.
How to Handle a Broken Denture: Never attempt to fix your broken denture on your own, as you may make the damage more severe or accidentally place harmful substances in your mouth. Instead, call us to receive further instructions and schedule an appointment.
How We Treat Broken Dentures: The best way to address denture damage depends on the severity of the problem. Chipped or cracked artificial teeth can often be repaired with tooth-colored composite resin, and a poorly fitting base may be able to function well again after we adjust it. However, a device that is beyond repair will have to be replaced.
Learn More About Missing Teeth Replacement
Loose
Tooth
Loose Permanent Tooth
Are Loose Permanent Teeth a Dental Emergency? A loose adult tooth is at severe risk of being permanently lost, which makes it a dental emergency even if you experience no pain. This can happen gradually or all at once to natural teeth or dental implants because of gum disease or oral injury. Contact us immediately when you notice a loose tooth.
How You Should Handle a Loose Permanent Tooth: Immediately call our office in Weston to schedule an emergency appointment. Refrain from sticky or crunchy foods as well as probing at your tooth with your tongue or fingers. While you can rinse your mouth with a solution of eight ounces of water and a quarter teaspoon of table salt, we don’t recommend brushing or flossing when you have a loose adult tooth.
How We Treat Loose Permanent Tooth: We may be able to fix a loose permanent tooth or dental implant to encourage it to reintegrate with the bone and gum tissues. However, a tooth that cannot be saved will need to be extracted and replaced.
Learn More About Tooth Extractions
Learn More About Dental Implants
Learn More About Gum Disease Treatment
Gums, Lips or
Tongue Injury
Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue
Is an Injury to Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Oral injuries that draw blood from the gums, lips, or tongue can be painful and alarming, and it’s best to go to the emergency room if the bleeding doesn’t stop after ten minutes of sustained pressure. However, we may be able to help if the injury is minor.
How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: Begin by gently rinsing the wound with water to remove debris. Apply light pressure to the cut through a clean washcloth or gauze until the bleeding ceases. You can address swelling and discomfort with an ice pack or cold compress.
How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: If the wound is relatively small, we will be able to stitch it shut and provide you with instructions for keeping it clean while it heals. However, head to the emergency room if the bleeding does not stop after ten minutes of applied pressure or if you think your jaw is broken or dislocated.
Jaw Pain or
Clenching
Jaw Pain
Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? While jaw pain that lasts a day can be frustrating, it isn’t usually a dental emergency. However, contact our office if your discomfort persists for a long time or becomes unbearable.
How You Should Handle Jaw Pain: We’ll be happy to offer you guidance for reducing your jaw pain over the phone before your appointment. We’ll probably recommend taking over-the-counter pain relievers and using an ice pack or cold compress to reduce swelling and discomfort. However, go to the emergency room if you think your jaw is broken or dislocated.
How We Treat Jaw Pain: We often address jaw pain through TMJ treatments designed to bring the joints into better alignment. However, the issue may require tooth extractions if it is caused by troubled teeth. If you must have your jaw pain addressed at the ER, we’ll be happy to fix any damaged teeth later.
Learn More About Tooth Extractions
Something Stuck
Between Teeth
Something Stuck Between the Teeth
If you cannot dislodge a stubborn object from between your teeth with conventional oral hygiene methods like brushing, flossing, and rinsing, contact our office so one of our dentists can carefully and safely remove it. Never attempt to remove debris from your gums using a toothpick or another sharp object, like tweezers.
The cost of dental emergency treatment varies, as it largely depends on the patient’s situation and the care needed to address them. That means you should consult our dentists in person for an exact estimate; they’ll gladly confirm your care’s final price. Please talk to our team for more details on the cost of a dental emergency.
Since accidents sometimes happen, you can’t stop all dental emergencies. You can, however, reduce your risk of experiencing one. Just remember to do the following.
With six-month checkups, your dentist can diagnose and treat small issues before they worsen. The cleaning portion of your routine visits is equally as important because it allows your hygienist to remove built-up plaque and tartar, as well as clean the hard-to-reach areas of your mouth. If you have a suspicion that something is wrong, don’t wait until your next checkup and cleaning. Instead, schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Weston ASAP.
In short, if you take good care of your smile at home, you’ll be less likely to suffer from tooth or gum infections. So, if you aren’t already, start brushing your teeth for two full minutes each morning and evening. Then, when you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed at night, floss and rinse with an ADA-approved mouthwash. Habits like these may seem small, but they play a big role in preventing common dental problems.
Over-indulging in sugary treats can lead to tooth decay. Plus, eating hard pretzels, peanut brittle, and other crunchy foods can damage your enamel. That’s why it’s so important to fill your plate with softer, more nutrient-dense foods instead. It’s also crucial to drink water throughout the day to prevent dry mouth and its side effects.
Since several common dental injuries – from considerable chips to completely knocked-out teeth – stem from bruxism (i.e., teeth grinding) and sports-related injuries, it’s of the utmost importance that you wear a mouthguard to protect your smile. If you don’t have one already, don’t buy one online or at your local sporting goods store. Instead, come to our office so we can have a custom one made for you.
We mentioned above the importance of incorporating healthy habits into your routine, like brushing and flossing consistently. To protect your smile from harm, it’s also important that you break bad habits. Smoking, chewing on ice cubes, biting your nails, and using your teeth as tools to open things are a few examples. If you want to quit, but you’ve had trouble in the past, don’t hesitate to let us know. We aim to be an ongoing resource for our patients.
Should I Visit the ER First for Dental Emergencies?
The average emergency room isn’t equipped for most dental issues. Indeed, their staff usually won’t have the certifications and skill sets to do so. The most they could offer would be some antibiotics and painkillers – medicines that offer short-term relief from your problem. Beyond such materials, ER staff can’t perform the work that fixes severe smile troubles.
Of course, there are potential exceptions to this rule. You should visit an ER first if you have jaw fractures, severe cuts or lacerations to your mouth, or an extremely swollen abscess.
What Does Throbbing Tooth Pain Mean?
Throbbing tooth pain is never a good sign for your smile. Often enough, it points to the infection (or inflammation) of the affected tooth.
When a tooth’s pulp gets infected, it’ll often cause a bad ache. The pain stems from bacteria reaching sensitive inner areas and inflaming the tissues. (Bacteria can enter a tooth’s central areas through cavities or cracks.) If your aching tooth is infected, you should see a dentist immediately for treatment.
Less frequently, throbbing tooth pain can have other serious causes. These include teeth grinding, clenching, and other related habits.
How Can a Dental Abscess Be Treated?
A dental abscess results from an oral infection. Therefore, we will treat it by removing the infected tissue from your mouth.
This removal work is often simple and smooth. All in all, your dentist just has to make an incision in the abscess to drain it. They’ll also perform a root canal if the infection is in one of your teeth.
An infected tooth may need to be extracted if it’s beyond the point of saving, and the infection can also spread beyond the abscessed area, thus requiring you to take antibiotics.
Should You Put a Knocked-Out Tooth in Water?
You shouldn’t place one in a water container for an extended period. Qater can harm the root surface cells of teeth. Placing your dislodged tooth in it will make it less likely to reattach well. Instead, you should place the knocked-out piece back into your open socket or under your tongue until you can see us. You can also set it in milk or saline solution (if available) for up to an hour.
