Maintaining your regular hygiene examinations can help us be proactive in spotting any potential problems from developing or causing unnecessary discomfort. While we can do everything in our power to help your oral health, there are unfortunate circumstances when you might have a dental emergency. Dental emergencies can happen at any time and can be caused by a variety of reasons. Whether it be from an accident, sports injury, neglect, or another reason, it is important to remain calm, assess the situation, and call our office as soon as possible.
What Qualifies as an Emergency?
At times, it can be difficult to determine how severe a dental injury is and if warrants a call to our office. If you have any concerns, it doesn’t hurt to place a call to our office, but here is a list of emergencies that we expect to hear about as soon as they happen:
- A tooth that gets knocked out
- A mouth injury that won’t stop bleeding
- Broken or damaged braces
- A significant cracked or chipped tooth
- A lost filling or crown
- A dental abscess
What Can Be Done Before the Appointment?
We want our patients to be free from discomfort at all times. Our first suggestion would be to try an over-the-counter pain reliever to help relieve some of the discomfort. You can also rinse your mouth with warm water and apply ice to the area to help with swelling. If you are suffering from a cracked or broken tooth, we suggest applying dental wax to the area to prevent any cuts or scrapes in the mouth from the jagged edges. We will provide more directions for serious injuries such as when a tooth is fully knocked out when you call the office for an appointment.
If you experience a dental emergency, please call our office as soon as possible, and we will try to accommodate a last minute appointment or give directions about the next steps to take. Dr. Hines and the staff at Premier Dental Care located in Washington, DC greatly care about your oral health and will do everything they can to help you. We hope you remain safe and look forward to seeing you at your next appointment.