Dealing with a dental emergency? Our dental team can help.
Do you know what to do if a dental emergency happened to you? Do you know how you’d handle it? If you don’t, we can give you a hint. You will want to visit our Woodbridge, VA, dentists Dr. Paris Vaughn and Dr. Synthia Chowdhury for immediate dental care. Not sure if the problem you are dealing with really warrants an urgent or same-day dental appointment?
You should see our Woodbridge, VA, general dentists right away if you are dealing with,
- A toothache
- Broken or cracked tooth
- Partially dislodged or knocked-out tooth
- A lost or broken crown or filling
- Broken braces
Here are some tips to address these common dental emergencies,
A toothache
A toothache can be a sign of a cavity or an infection so it’s important that you see your dentist as soon as possible. To alleviate pain in the interim, you may choose to apply a cold compress to that side of the face (particularly if there is swelling), take an over-the-counter pain reliever, or rinse your mouth out with salt water (simply add a pinch of salt to a glass of water).
Broken or cracked tooth
If you have a broken tooth it’s important that you gather and rinse off any parts of the tooth that may have broken off. In some cases, we may be able to bond those parts back on the tooth. Again, pain relievers and ice-cold compress can help alleviate pain and swelling until you can come into our office.
Knocked-out tooth
If you have a completely dislodged tooth, handle the tooth by the crown only (never the roots) and gently rinse it off with warm water to remove any dirt or debris. If possible, you should try to place the tooth back in the socket and hold it there. If you can’t get the tooth back into the socket, place it in a container with milk and come into our office immediately. By coming in within 30 minutes of the incident, there is a higher chance of saving the tooth.
Lost filling or crown
Since not treating a lost filling or crown could lead to damage or an infection within the tooth it’s important that you come into the office right away so we can replace the filling or crown. Bring your lost filling or crown with you. If your crown is intact, we may simply cement the restoration over the tooth again without needing to replace it.
If you are in doubt about whether or not the problem you are facing is a true dental emergency, please call our Woodbridge, VA, emergency dentists at (571) 285-2577 to find out. We can discuss your symptoms with you over the phone to determine whether you need to come into the office right away. Turn to the dental team at Pure Dental today.