When you have a dental emergency, it’s crucial that you get in touch with our office as quickly as possible. Often, a dental emergency involves a tooth that’s been severely damaged, and emergency dental care may still manage to restore the tooth. In many cases, the dental office will set you into their schedule and see you right away.

On the other hand, you need to do some things to increase the chances of preserving your tooth:

• If the tooth is loose or out of alignment, just try to realign the tooth, but do this carefully. In the dental office, the dentist may need to splint the loose tooth to nearby teeth to keep it in place.
• If the tooth has been chipped, it’s not really an emergency especially if it doesn’t hurt. Just be careful about how you chew your food before you set up an appointment to deal with it. The dentist will either smooth the chip out more evenly, or they may fill in the space with composite material.
• A tooth that has fractured or cracked may still be saved. To boost your chances, rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water. If there’s swelling, apply a cold compress.
• What if the tooth has been knocked out? Pick up the tooth by the crown (top),by the root. Rinse the tooth carefully, and then if it is possible you can replace the tooth gently back into the socket. If this isn’t possible, put it in a container of water or a cup of milk.