A dental emergency is a painful and frightening situation, but you can make the best out of a bad situation by taking a few simple steps. One of the first things you should do is call Fresh Pond Dental. Describe what happened, and we will prepare to treat you as soon as possible — perhaps even on the same day that you call. We will leap into action to help you manage your pain and minimize the damage to your oral health.
Aside from calling our team, what can you do to handle a dental emergency? You can perform some basic first-aid to take the edge off your pain and reduce the risk that further damage will occur to your oral health before you get to our office. Below, we outline some of the steps that may be wise to take when you are trying to handle specific, common dental emergencies.
Avoid chewing with the painful tooth, and take over the counter pain relievers as necessary. Although a toothache can have many difficult causes, damage to its innermost layer (the pulp) is often to blame. If that is the case, root canal therapy may be able to stop the pain and even save the tooth from extraction.
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A piece of sugar-free chewing gum can be placed over any of the tooth’s jagged edges to protect the soft tissues in your mouth. Mild pain relievers may be necessary to mitigate your discomfort. When you get to our office, we might be able to repair the tooth, but extraction is also a very real possibility.
Touching the tooth only by its top part, gently rinse off any debris. Then, attempt to place it back in its socket. If that is not possible, store it in milk or water. If you receive treatment within an hour or two of when the tooth got knocked out, we might be able to splint it back into place.
In some cases, it is possible to temporarily reattach a lost crown with a dab of denture adhesive. However, you should never try to force it back onto the tooth. When you get to our office, we may be able to permanently reattach the lost restoration or replace it altogether.
Some dental emergencies are inevitable. However, there are some simple things you can do to greatly reduce your risk of facing one:
The cost of treating your dental emergency will depend on your specific situation. For example, if all you need is a prescription, your cost is likely to be much less than if you need extensive restorative work. After we assess the damage to your oral health, we will discuss your treatment options and their associated costs. We will also be happy to help you file insurance claims or apply for low-interest financing through CareCredit if necessary.
Many general physicians misdiagnose TMD, a common disorder of the jaw, because it can produce so many different symptoms. Our team, on the other hand, has the training necessary to recognize and treat TMD. After we evaluate the function of your jaw and strive to pinpoint the cause of your discomfort, we can design a custom treatment plan that will relieve your tense facial muscles, reduce stress on your jaw, and reduce or eliminate your TMD symptoms.