Are you experiencing a dental emergency? If so, stay calm. Everything will be ok. First, call our office as soon as possible. Next, do the following things to help the situation before you see the dentist:

• For a knocked-out tooth: If you have knocked a permanent tooth out of your mouth, retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown, and rinse it off with warm water if it’s dirty—do not scrub it. Then, if possible, put the tooth back into the empty socket in your mouth. Make sure when you put it back into place, the tooth is facing the right way and you do not force it. If this is not possible, you can put the tooth in a small carton of milk, in a cup of water with a pinch of table salt, or in a cup of liquid that promotes cell growth. It is very important that you see your dentist or dental professional within an hour of your tooth getting knocked out.

• For a partially dislodged tooth: If you have had an accident that has resulted in a partially dislodged tooth, there is not much you can do other than see your dentist as soon as possible. To relieve pain, you can take over-the-counter pain medication and you can reduce swelling by placing an ice pack or cold compress outside the affected area.

• For a chipped or broken tooth: If you have chipped or broken your tooth, please try and save as many pieces as you can. If any of the pieces are dirty, you can wash them with warm water. To stop any bleeding, apply a cloth or gauze pad to the area. To reduce swelling and pain, ice the area and take over-the-counter pain medication.

• For a toothache: If you have a toothache, you can try to relieve the pain by rinsing your mouth with warm water. Then, you can floss between each tooth and free any excess food particles that may be stuck. If this doesn’t help you, you might have decayed tooth. Until you see your dentist, you can dull the pain with over-the-counter pain medication, but please do not put the medication directly onto or around the gums. If you do, your gums will get burned and damaged.

• For a lost filling: If you have lost a filling, you can solve the problem temporarily by placing a sugarless piece of gum or over-the-counter dental cement in the hole of your tooth.

• For a lost dental crown: If your dental crown has come off your tooth, please try and save the crown and bring it into the office with you when you come in for your appointment. If your tooth is bothering you, you can place clove oil over the tooth to relieve any pain you feel. If you would like, you can slip the crown back over your tooth, but before you do so, coat the inside of the crown with over-the-counter dental cement or with toothpaste. Please do not use super glue.

For more help with dental emergencies, call our office as soon as possible. We are happy to help you in any way we can!