Tips To Remember When Calling An Emergency Dentist

A dental emergency can happen at any time of day or night, but they often seem to happen at the most inconvenient times. In such circumstances, you will need to call an emergency dentist so that you can be treated as quickly as possible. By doing so, you will have the best chance for a successful outcome.

Call our office right away so that we can schedule an appointment for you. The longer that you wait to call, the harder it will be to save a tooth that has been knocked out, for example. If you do not feel up to talking on the phone, have someone else make the call for you.

If you have had a tooth knocked out, it is important to get treatment as quickly as possible. If you come in to our office within 30 minutes, we can probably reinsert your tooth and save it. If you delay, the odds of a successful outcome go down significantly.

Be sure to pick up the tooth by the crown, rather than the root. Rinse it gently with a saline solution. Do not scrub it or remove any tissue that is attached. Try to put the tooth back in the socket and bite down gently.

If the tooth will not go back into the socket, put it in a small amount of milk to preserve it. Bring the tooth with you to our office so that the dentist can reinsert it into the socket.

Take painkillers if you are experiencing a great deal of pain and discomfort. Applying an ice pack to the afflicted area can also help. Do not put any sort of painkiller directly on the gum or tooth, however.

In a dental emergency, time is of the essence. Call our office right away so that we can see you as soon as possible.

What You Should Do If You Have A Toothache?

If you wake up with a dull, throbbing pain in your mouth, you are suffering from a toothache. While some toothaches go away as mysteriously as they arrived, the majority do not. In most cases, the pain is an indication that there is something seriously wrong with your teeth or gums.

The most important thing to do is to call our office and make an appointment to see the dentist. We will do our best to get you in as quickly as possible. We know how painful a toothache can be, and the sooner that you receive treatment, the sooner you will stop hurting.

However, in the interval between your phone call and your appointment, there are some things that you can do to give yourself some relief from the pain. Taking an over-the-counter painkiller such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen may help take the edge off the pain. Be sure not to exceed the recommended dosage on the bottle, however.

Applying an ice pack to the affected area can also help to soothe the pain. Others may find that heat actually is more helpful. Using a hot compress on the painful area can help you find some relief from your discomfort.

Gels containing benzocaine or a similar topical anesthetic are also available over the counter. Applying a small amount of this medication to the gum near the painful tooth can numb the area for some time. This is the same medication that we use in our office before we inject the novocaine.

Rinsing your mouth with warm salt water or diluted hydrogen peroxide may also help provide some temporary toothache relief. However, the most important thing to do when you have a toothache is to call our office right away so that we can examine you and provide a permanent solution.

How To Save A Broken Tooth

While teeth are generally quite sturdy, they are not invulnerable. A blow of sufficient force, or even one that is just at the wrong angle, can crack or chip a tooth. Fortunately, with prompt treatment, we can save your broken tooth and repair it so that it looks as good as new.

The most important thing to do is to call our Charlotte dental clinic right away and let the dentist know what has happened. While you may be in some shock after the injury, call as soon as you are able. This way, you will have the best chance to save your broken tooth and recover from your injury.

If the tooth is still in your mouth, avoid touching it. Eat only soft foods and avoid chewing on that side of your mouth. If the injury is quite painful, taking an anti-inflammatory painkiller such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can provide some relief. If the affected area is swollen or tender, applying an ice pack can help keep the swelling down and reduce the pain.

If your tooth has been knocked out of your mouth, prompt treatment may be able to save it. Pick up the tooth by the crown and do not touch its root. Rinse it with a saline solution and try to place it back in the socket, if possible. If not, bring the tooth with you to our office.

In such cases, treatment needs to begin as soon as possible. By coming to our office right away, we can replace the tooth and splint it so that you have the best chance of a successful recovery. In many cases, if the tooth is put back in place within half an hour, the prognosis is good.

If a tooth is broken or damaged, call us immediately so that we can start to treat you as soon as possible.

The Various Types Of Emergencies Your Dentist Can Treat

Picture this: you’re happily munching on dinner when suddenly your tooth pops out! What do you do? First thing you’re likely to do is call a Charlotte dental office and see what he or she can do to help.

Losing a tooth isn’t the only emergency you may suffer from, however. The following are what constitute as an emergency, and therefore should be top priority. Even if we don’t have your problem listed here, you should still give us a call to find out if you’re dealing with something that needs immediate attention.

Broken Or Missing Tooth

If one of your teeth falls out or you otherwise break a tooth, call us immediately. Also make sure you keep the tooth or piece of tooth in a germ-free environment for as long as possible, and be sure to bring it in with you. Even in a broken tooth’s case, we may be able to repair it using your natural tooth.

Infections

Tooth and gum infections are serious things that must be tended to immediately. Failure to get prompt treatment may mean more problems than just what’s going on in your mouth. If your gums are oozing or you have a foul odor that’s not related to just a bad case of breath, call us right away before your life is on the line.

Severe Pain

Sometimes cavity and other types of pain is so bad you can’t wait another day. Call us if you are suffering from debilitating pain in the mouth. Apply a warm towel or heating pad to the affected area and take the pain medication you’re okay with until we can get you in.

There are other types of emergencies that may qualify, but these are the three big ones. Don’t be shy. Your teeth and overall health need immediate attention.

What Dental Emergencies Can Be Treated By A Dentist?

Dentists are capable of tending to all sorts of emergencies. While emergency dentists do exist, sometimes you can go to your regular dentist, even outside of normal office hours.

But what constitutes as a dental emergency that your Charlotte dentist can treat? Check out our list below to see if your issue is really an emergency.

1. Infected Teeth And Gums

You don’t want to mess around with an infection. If an infection is allowed to spread, your heart or brain may be in danger. If you have pus oozing from your gums or there is a very foul odor coming from your teeth, then you may have an infection. Even if it turns out that you don’t, it’s much better to be safe than sorry.

2. Missing Or Broken Teeth

Did you chip a tooth? Did a tooth or a cap/filling fall out? If so, you might be having an emergency situation. It is possible to save your teeth, so we highly recommend that you keep it on standby and, above all, don’t panic. We’ll get you in as soon as possible so we can get your teeth back into working order.

3. Previous Dental Work Backfiring

It’s rare, but it can happen. If you just had some intense dental work done, you are at a higher risk of infection and having other issues. This may not even be your fault, but whether it is or not, it is definitely a medical emergency if it happens to you. Don’t be afraid to call us and tell us if something has happened.

There are many things that count as an emergency when it comes to your teeth. The above three are merely examples, and we encourage you to call us if you think you may be having any kind of emergency at all.

Questions You’ll Need To Answer When Calling Your Dentist With An Emergency

Communication is a two-way street, especially in the medical field. When it comes to dental emergencies, however, people tend to panic and clam up. If you think dental emergencies may be a problem in your household, make sure you have these questions answered before you call.

What Is The Nature Of The Emergency?

It’s important you know as much as possible about what’s going on. Did you break a tooth? Do you have an infection? Are you in so much pain that you can barely function? If you have the precise words, use them. That way the dentist will have a better understanding of what’s going on and what he can do to help.

What Is Your Pertinent Dental History?

Is there anything we should know about your dental history? Do you have a pattern of infections? Have you had recent work done that this may be coming from? Even if we did the work on you, we see a lot of patients and need you to be as transparent as possible.

How Immediate Is The Emergency?

Do you need to be seen right away, or can it wait a day? Infections should be seen right away. It’s possible that a broken tooth or pain can wait another day. We’ll give you advice on how to survive overnight.

What Insurance Do You Have?

The sooner we clear your insurance, the sooner we can get started. Have your insurance card on hand to give us the information we need to help you.

Being prepared is one of the most important things you can do before calling your dentist about an emergency. By knowing right away what’s going on, what may be causing it, and what you’ve done to help it, we can get you into the office quicker and fixed up with no problem.

Do You Need A Tooth Extraction?

If you are suffering from a persistent toothache, it is important to call a dental office in Charlotte right away to make an appointment. The sooner you are treated, the sooner a diagnosis can be made and a treatment plan can be started. While the ideal course of action is to do the minimum necessary to provide pain relief, there may be times when a tooth extraction is the best course of action.

In such a procedure, your tooth will be removed from its socket. Once the area has healed, it can be replaced with an implant to keep your teeth in the proper position and let you chew normally. But how do you know whether or not you need to have a tooth extracted?

By visiting a Charlotte dentist right away, the affected area can be examined and a diagnosis made. In many cases, a dentist will take X-rays to take a look at the interior of the tooth and the surrounding bone. If it is necessary, the dentist will recommend that the tooth come out. However, this is generally a last resort, since it is usually best to keep a tooth in place.

A tooth that is fully exposed can be removed right in a dental office in a simple procedure. However, if you have a wisdom tooth that has not fully emerged, or a permanent tooth that is not above the gums, then an oral surgeon will have to perform the procedure.

It can take several weeks for you to recover from the extraction. Be sure to keep the area clean by rinsing it with a saline solution. Eat a soft diet and take painkillers for any discomfort you may feel.

While extracting a tooth can be uncomfortable, in some cases it is the best course of action. Call today so that a diagnosis can be made and you can start your treatment.

What To Do When Your Tooth Gets Chipped

Perhaps you have been with your friends at a restaurant enjoying a fine meal when instantly you sense something breaks in your mouth? You look at your chewed food and discover that a large piece of your tooth has broken off.

Our teeth are probably the strongest tissues within our body, and yes it takes a lot for one of them to break. However, it can happen to anyone. This is very true if your tooth has decayed due to neglecting proper oral hygiene. The worst part of chipping your tooth is that doing so usually leaves you in pain because the root may be exposed.

This pain could be severe and when going through this type of pain your mind will be able to focus on nothing other than ways to get the pain to stop. However, before you get to pain relief it is essential to call your family dentist immediately to make a consultation appointment. Or, if your family dentist is unavailable you need to find an emergency dentist.

While you waiting for your dental appointment there are several things that you ought to do to deal with your pain, such as:

apply clove oil to the area
take over-the-counter pain killers
apply ice to the area

These options will only be sufficient to “get you through the night” until you can visit a dentist to get you out of pain and repair your chipped tooth.

For emergency dentistry in the Charlotte area give us a call. We are open when most dentist are closed.

Strategies For Treating A Cracked Or Knocked Out Tooth

Dental emergencies can happen to anyone, young or old, including those who faithfully visit their dentist twice yearly for teeth cleaning. So, what exactly should you do if you are confronted by a significant dental problem? These situations vary, but listed below are two common dental emergencies and the way to handle them should they happen to you:

1. A Cracked Tooth

This is probably the most frequent dental emergency we treat in our Charlotte, NC dental office. If you’ve fallen and have cracked a tooth or injured it by various other means, you should do the following:

rinse your mouth with the water, and
place the broken off piece of tooth in a cup of milk.

Furthermore, if your mouth is starting to swell, because of the injury, place a cold compress on the area. Then call your dentist immediately for an emergency appointment.

2. Knocked Out Tooth

This is another situation that numerous people face. In the event you knocked out one of your teeth, locate the tooth and rinse it with warm water to completely clean it if it’s dirty. Do not use soap or any chemicals on the tooth. Tepid water is all that is required.

Do not let the tooth to dry up. It must remain moist. If you can, reposition the tooth within the socket and hold it there by biting down on it or pressing down on it with your fingers. If you are unable to achieve that, position the tooth in a tooth preservation kit, should you own one, or in some milk. Do not put it in water.

Make an emergency appointment with a dentist immediately. The tooth could be saved, if you get to a dentist quickly, within an hour.

Dental emergencies happen to children and adults. However with the proper attention, seeing a qualified professional, there are many solutions for these problems and emergencies.

Top 3 Dental Emergencies Seen By Our Office

Dental emergencies can occur at any point with time. Allow me to share the three most typical dental emergencies we take care of regularly in our Charlotte office.

Broken Teeth Repair in Charlotte, NC

Broken teeth is definitely an emergency which we often see quite frequently. There are many ways a person can break a tooth, but the most common cause may be from poor dental hygiene which make the teeth more susceptible to breaking, cracking, and chipping when biting down on hard pieces of food.

Denture Repair in Charlotte

Dentures are an excellent way to replace missing teeth. However, just like teeth they are susceptible to breaking. If you break your dentures you must realize this can be a true dental emergency and something which we treat also. Whenever you do break your dentures and require our assistance, you should try and bring in each of the pieces you have of your respective dentures.

Infection/Abscess Treatment

An abscess or infection of the jaw is definitely an issue that needs to be dealt with immediately. While you may not view this like a true dental emergency, it is actually a problem that can have a severe impact on your overall health. In fact, if not properly treated, an abscess could cost you your tooth, or even worse, your lifestyle in case the infection spreads to your body. So this is a true dental emergency which we can deal with by draining the abscess, treating the reason behind the abscess, and providing medication to help you fight the infection.

A dental emergency may not be something you consider a significant issue. However, you need to realize dental emergencies are problems that need to be addressed. We have informed you of the top three dental emergencies, but if you do some simple research on www.dentalemergencycharlotte.com you will see other emergencies exist, and we can certainly treat these too.