Emergency Dental Care

Emergency Dental Care

Dental emergencies can occur at any time and usually catch people off guard when they do pop up. You could find yourself in need of an emergency dentist in the middle of a meal, while playing sports, or just while going about your daily routine. Because they are unexpected, we leave space in our schedule to accommodate those patients experiencing a dental emergency.

When faced with a dental emergency, knowing what steps to take before you can get professional care is crucial. At Waterstone Family Dentistry, our emergency dentist Fuquay-Varina loves is committed to providing immediate and effective treatment for a range of dental emergencies. Here’s what you should do for each situation, when to see a dentist, and what treatment you can expect:

1. Chipped Tooth

• Before You Arrive: Rinse your mouth with warm water. If there’s bleeding, apply gentle pressure with a piece of gauze.
• Timeframe: Visit the dentist as soon as possible, preferably within a few hours, especially if there’s pain or sharp edges that can cause injury.
• Treatment Provided: Treatment might include smoothing the chip out, dental bonding, dental filling, or a crown, depending on the severity of the chip.

2. Mouth Sore

• Before You Arrive: Rinse with salt water and avoid spicy or acidic foods.
• Timeframe: Monitor the sore for a couple of days; visit the dentist if it worsens or does not heal.
• Treatment Provided: Treatment depends on the cause but may include topical ointments or special mouthwashes.

3. Abscessed Tooth

• Before You Arrive: Rinse your mouth with salt water to reduce pain and draw the pus to the surface.
• Timeframe: See the dentist immediately. Dental abscesses require prompt treatment to avoid serious complications.
• Treatment Provided: Likely treatments include draining the abscess, performing a root canal, or in severe cases, extraction.

4. Mouth Swelling

• Before You Arrive: Apply a cold compress to the cheek to reduce swelling.
• Timeframe: Visit the dentist immediately as swelling can indicate a serious infection.
• Treatment Provided: Treatment will focus on the cause of swelling and may include antibiotics or drainage.

5. Avulsed Tooth (Complete Dislodgement)

• Before You Arrive: Handle the tooth by the crown, not the root. Rinse it without scrubbing and try to reinsert it into the socket. If not possible, keep it moist in milk or saliva.
• Timeframe: Immediate treatment is critical; try to see the dentist within 30 minutes to possibly save the tooth.
• Treatment Provided: The dentist will attempt to reinsert and stabilize the tooth or discuss replacement options if reinsertion isn’t feasible.

6. Loose Crown

• Before You Arrive: If the crown comes off completely, try to fit it back onto the tooth using dental cement from a drugstore or toothpaste in a pinch.
• Timeframe: See the dentist within a few days to properly reattach or replace the crown.
• Treatment Provided: The dentist will clean the area and reattach the crown using dental adhesive.

7. Tooth Pain

• Before You Arrive: Rinse the mouth with warm water; use floss to remove any lodged food. If swelling is present, apply a cold compress.
• Timeframe: Schedule a visit as soon as possible, especially if pain is severe or accompanied by fever, earache, or pain upon opening your mouth wide.
• Treatment Provided: Treatment will depend on the cause, which could include anything from filling a cavity to more extensive procedures like a root canal.

8. Loose Baby Tooth

• Before You Arrive: If the tooth is very loose, encourage the child to gently wiggle it with their tongue or clean hands.
• Timeframe: Generally, this is not an urgent emergency unless there is pain or bleeding; however, contact your dentist to determine if the tooth needs to be extracted safely in the office.
• Treatment Provided: The dentist might remove the tooth if it’s not coming out on its own or if there’s risk of the child swallowing or inhaling the tooth.

For all dental emergencies, getting to an emergency dentist quickly is often the key to saving your teeth and health. If you’re in doubt about the severity of your condition, contact Waterstone Family Dentistry immediately for advice and to arrange for urgent care.

If you are experiencing tooth pain or anything that does not feel right, don’t hesitate to seek treatment. Very rarely do these things resolve on their own. And it is better to see a dentist than to go to the emergency room or to an urgent care clinic.

Make Your Emergency Dentistry Preparations

Don’t find yourself in the position of having to google “emergency dentist Fuquay-Varina” when something goes wrong. If you have children, a good thing to have on hand at home is a Save-A-Tooth kit which can be found online. If your child’s adult tooth is knocked out, you can simply drop it in the container found in the kit. This works better than milk, as the kit is made to preserve the tooth until you can get to the dental office.

Call us today for help with your dental emergency in Fuquay-Varina. We welcome both existing patients as well as those who are new to the area or those who don’t have an established relationship with a dental office.

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