It can be traumatic to have a dental injury and not know what to do. You might be in pain. You may worry about if the pain will increase or if the injury will get worse. You want to get it taken care of ASAP. The Glazer Dental staff understands and wants to help you become pain-free as quickly as possible.
Same Day Treatment for your Dental Emergency
We at Glazer Dental will always do our best to treat your Dental Emergency, same day whenever possible. Give us a call as soon as there is a problem, and we can get you in the door as fast as we can. Whether you are an existing patient or are new to the practice, we will do our best to help you in a timely fashion, eliminate your pain, and save your smile.
When something breaks or pain flares, give our office a call. We can talk you through your options and assess the situation with you. We can give you tips on how to manage the pain and what actions to avoid until you can come in to the office.
The Glazer Dental team is on standby, ready to address your issue, but while you wait, here are a few tips on how to handle the most common dental emergencies:
Broken Tooth
Breaking a tooth is more common than people expect. From a chip to a crack to a full split, when hit just so, teeth can become severely damaged. People often expect such things happen from hard bites on solid objects, but more often then not, it is an unexpected food like an apple, slice of pizza, or bite of candy that bring out an existing weakness in a tooth.
If you’ve broken a tooth, you need to rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area. If your gums are torn or you are in pain, use a cold compress on your cheek or jaw to keep the swelling down until we can see you in-office.
Bitten Tongue
We all bite our tongues, but sometimes it is more severe. You may have been playing a sport or in a car accident or just tripped at an awkward moment. Bites can be very painful and bleed heavily, which is intimidating.
If you’ve bitten your tongue, clean the area with warm water and use a cold compress to reduce swelling. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, go to the emergency room as soon as able. If the bleeding slows to a stop, we can review the damage in-office.
Broken Crown
Broken crowns are easier to overlook then broken teeth. You may not be in any pain, and you may consider it something that can wait a few weeks to get resolved. But, pain or no pain, you should be treated as soon as possible.
If you’ve broken or chipped a dental crown, you treat it much like a broken tooth. Rinse your mouth with warm water and address any swelling with a cold compress. Call our office, even if you are not in pain, as the chipped or broken crown can expose the sensitive tooth underneath, leaving it susceptible to damage and pain.
Toothache
The causes of toothache can range from infection, to tooth decay, to teeth grinding, to gum disease, and even ear infections. It is too numerous to guess at your cause over the phone, and sometimes too dangerous to ignore. Many people will walk around with a toothache for days or weeks before seeking treatment. But during this time, the issue can be growing and expanding. A simple hairline crack in a tooth can deepen, resulting in the loss of tooth because the issue was ignored when it was fixable. A cavity can grow, spreading across the tooth. Enamel may have worn away, bringing pain that could have been resolved in a single visit.
If you find yourself in pain, rinse your mouth with warm water to clean it and floss to remove any debris that may be caught, putting pressure on teeth. If these do not offer immediate relief, call the office and we will take x-rays to find the cause of the pain and offer a solution.
Knocked Out Tooth
Just because a tooth is knocked out doesn’t mean it can’t be salvaged. It all depends on the extent of damage to the root and what you do right after the injury. If a tooth is loose but still in place, try pushing it back into its original position, compressing it by biting with the other teeth so it doesn’t move. Try to stay in this position until we can get you in-office, where we may splint it to the surrounding teeth allowing the root to heal in the proper position.
If the tooth is fully knocked out, rinse it off but do not disturb the roots. It is imperative to keep the roots as undamaged as possible. Once clean, you can store the tooth in a glass of milk or even in your cheek to keep the roots alive as you make your way to the office.
Passing Pain or a Bigger Issue?
If you are unsure if you have an emergency, call our office and we can walk you through your options. We can help assess if something is urgent or if it is a “wait and see” situation. If we advise you on waiting a day or so, we can also give you a list of what to look for as time passes, and what warrants more aggressive reactions.
If you think you have a dental emergency, or are not sure, call us today at our Durham dentist office location for an emergency appointment. The Glazer Dental team will get you in the door as soon as possible.