These situations may not come with pain, but should still be attended to right away to ensure there is no unseen damage and to repair the tooth as soon as possible. Rinse with warm salt water to clear bacteria every 1-2 hours until your appointment. Avoid eating, if possible and if you experience pain, keep your head elevated.

If a piece of tooth breaks off from biting something hard or an accident, save the broken piece and rinse it in water, but don’t wash or scrub it. If you can fit it back onto the tooth, go ahead and secure it with toothpaste or over-the-counter (OTC) dental bonding. If you cannot put it back in place, place it in a container and cover with full-fat milk and keep it sealed until your emergency dental visit.

If you lose a tooth for any reason, there may be a chance we can save it. Explain your situation to the receptionist when you call us for your emergency dentistry, so we can schedule you as soon as possible. Then either place your tooth back in the socket, if possible or put it into a container and cover it with full-fat milk, then seal the container and bring it to your appointment.

Swellings are mainly due to infections, and facial swelling may be due to an infected tooth or infection of the gums. An OTC pain medication may help reduce pain and swelling, and placing a cool compress on your face in the area of the swelling, may help further reduce both. Keep your head elevated until you come for your appointment.

These are painful bubbles or bumps on the gum, often near an infected tooth or tooth root. Whether you feel pain or not, call and schedule an emergency dental visit with us so we can address the source of pain before it spreads. Until your appointment, rinse with warm salt water as often as necessary, and if there is pain, place either a warm or cool compress on the area (depending on what feels best to you).

When you feel tooth pain, don’t wait for it to get worse. Check your teeth for trapped food particles, as they can aggravate an already problematic tooth. Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater and apply a cool compress to the outside of your face in the area of the pain.

Toothaches may be as benign as a cavity, but they are cause for a dental emergency. If left untreated, pain can radiate into the jaw or upper face, into the ear, or even down the neck area. Infection in a tooth can spread and lead to other problems as well. Call us for an emergency dental visit and if the pain is bad, try the following until your appointment:
 

• Rinse with lukewarm salt water to clear bacteria
• Apply a cool compress in the area of the toothache
• Apply fresh cloves or clove oil to the infected tooth, as it may help reduce pain
• Crush a garlic clove to create a paste, then apply to the infected tooth to kill bacteria and ease discomfort