At Quarterpath Dental, we know that dental emergencies cannot be conveniently scheduled. That’s why we set aside time each day to accommodate those unscheduled emergencies. When you have a dental emergency, we do our best to get you in as soon as possible and even during our regular business hours. Whether you have damaged or lost a tooth, have tooth pain, or have had a restoration fall out, you can call our office and we can get you in, out, and smiling again.
Some examples of dental emergencies include:
- Broken or damaged tooth
- Loose or knocked-out tooth
- Toothache
- Lost dental filling, crown, or other restoration
- Dental abscess
- Something lodged between your teeth
Did You Know?
An article by Authority Dental notes that the number of emergency dental visits has been on the rise. In fact, between 2000 and 2010, the number of emergency dental visits rose from 1.1 million to 2.1 million.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What do I do during a dental emergency?
The first thing you should do during a dental emergency is to call our office to make an appointment. However, in the meantime, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself comfortable and improve the situation:
- Broken tooth: First, you will want to locate any of the broken pieces and save them in a small container. If possible, keep these pieces moist with milk or water. Rinse your mouth with warm water. To decrease any discomfort, use a cold compress on the affected area.
- Lost tooth: Holding the lost tooth by the crown, gently rinse off any debris while taking care not to remove any attached tissue. If you can, place the tooth back in it’s socket and gently hold it in place. Do not try to reattach the tooth. If you cannot return the tooth to the socket, then place it in a glass of milk until you can be seen. To decrease any discomfort, use a cold compress on the affected area.
- Toothache: Start by rinsing your mouth with warm water to loosen any debris. Then, floss your teeth to make sure there is nothing stuck between them that could be causing the pain. If pain persists, call our office. To decrease any discomfort, use a cold compress on the affected area.
- Lost dental restoration: Until you can be seen, you can use sugarless gum or over the counter dental cement to cover lost fillings. For dental crowns, use over the counter dental cement to try and reattach the dental crown until you can be seen. Also, be sure to keep your restoration and bring it to your appointment.
- Dental abscess: These look like pimples on the gums and can cause swelling and overall irritation. Rinse with salt water to reduce the discomfort and then call our office.
- Something between your teeth: When something is stuck between your teeth, the only thing you should use to get it out is dental floss. If it won’t come out with dental floss, call our office. Never use sharp objects to try and remove something from between your teeth.
What can I expect when receiving emergency dental care?
When receiving emergency dental care, you can expect that we will get you an appointment as soon as possible. Depending on the nature of your dental emergency, we may also give you temporary guidelines to follow until your emergency dental appointment.
During your appointment, our dentists will evaluate your case and make a treatment plan as needed. This treatment plan with then be discussed with and approved by you. Depending on the extent of your emergency, you may also be offered dental anesthetics to keep you comfortable and/or dental sedation to keep you calm.
What can I expect after receiving emergency dental care?
Your post-treatment expectations will depend upon the nature of your treatment and post-treatment instructions will be provided to you if necessary. Generally speaking, post-treatment guidelines can include some or all of the following: temporary diet restrictions, keeping the treatment site clean with a modified hygiene routine and coming back in for a post-treatment appointment.
