Get Help in A Dental Emergency

Since not everyone is a medic we often fail to recognize the onset of a dental emergency.

You may decide to administer pain relievers at home, but this will not offer a long lasting solution. The tooth is the most sensitive part of the human body. A slight toothache can cause you painful sleepless nights.

At our Country Dental clinics in Cambridge, Fergus, and Toronto ON, our emergency dentists will not only alleviate tooth pain, but will also perform an in-depth dental examination and offer treatment as required.

Dental Emergency Types

1. Knocked Out Tooth

Dentists mostly refer to this is avulsed tooth. This is a serious dental emergency because it affects the nerves, supporting tissues and blood vessels of the tooth. Whether you are a child or an adult, it is important that you see our dentists within an hour of experiencing a knocked out tooth.

Read what the American Association of Endodontists have to say about Knocked Out Teeth.

Should you have a dental emergency from a knocked out tooth:

Immediately call your Cambridge dentist at 519-620-7474, Fergus dentist at 519-787-7878, or your Toronto dentist at 416-335-7377 and book an emergency dental appointment. This should always be the first thing to do before you even touch the tooth.
Remove the tooth by holding the crown and not the root. The crown is usually the other part, the one that protrudes from the mouth. The root is very sensitive and can be destroyed easily. It should also be avoided for hygiene purposes. Holding the root might destroy crucial tissues important in re-attaching the tooth.
Rinse the tooth in either milk or water to make it clean. Avoid scrubbing as it might damage tissues as well.
Ensure the knocked out tooth remains moist; this can be done by either repositioning the tooth or dipping it in a saline solution or milk. If you can put the tooth back, ensure it is facing the right direction and do not force it. If repositioning does not work then use saline solution (basically salted water). Remember the key thing is to make the tooth moist and prevent it from drying out.

2. Broken Tooth Emergency

It is true that our teeth can withstand very hard substances. However under certain circumstances you may experience a fracture, chip or complete breakage. A tooth can be broken due to biting abnormally hard things, a hard slap, falling, and weak cavities. Usually a small crack in the tooth is not painful but may advance to complete breakage.

What to do in the case of a broken tooth:

First ensure you take the broken pieces of tooth out of the mouth and keep them, as advised above.
Use warm water to rinse your mouth and then apply an ice pack on the cheeks to slow down swelling. Usually, a fractured tooth will cause serious swelling of the area around the injury.
As you wait to see your dentist, take some form of pain killer. Always avoid using aspirin and instead use ibuprofen.
Alternatively, if you use dentures and your tooth breaks, just continue relying on spare ones. If unfortunately you have no extra dentures and your dentist is not within reach, consider using heavy-duty super glue. Note that super glue is only used to reattach dentures and is not to be used on natural teeth. Also, this should just be temporary as you move to your dentist.

3. Partially Dislodged Tooth Emergency

Due to an injury, a tooth may be partly knocked out or slightly pushed away from its socket. This dental emergency is usually referred to as an extruded tooth. It is important to contact our dentists immediately since the tooth might be saved. If it is not broken and the blood vessels and tissues are still intact, then a dislodged tooth can be easily saved by our professional dentists.

What to do when the tooth is pushed out of position:

Try pushing the tooth back to position using your finger, but please do not apply excess pressure.
You can, as well, use painkillers to relieve the pain as you wait to see our emergency dentist.
Our Cambridge, Fergus or Toronto dentist will apply an anesthetic and then wash the area, after which an x-ray will be done to eliminate any possibilities of a root fracture.
After that, our dentists will bond the tooth using a wire with resin, orthodontic bracket, or synthetic cloth.
The material used in bonding teeth should be left intact for around 7- 10 days as the tooth slowly recovers.

4. Severe Tooth Pain Dental Emergency

Most times we experience unbearable pain, which cannot be explained unless a dental examination is done. This pain may be due to sensitive gums, decayed food, bacterial infection, or even trauma to the teeth as a result of an accident. All the mentioned causes of pain can be separately treated. However, if you have no idea where the pain is coming from, see your Country Dental emergency dentist immediately.

What to do when in serious pain:

Take over-the-counter pain relievers, but do not rely on them for treatment.
Rinse your mouth with warm salted water after every hour to help relieve swelling.
Brush your teeth with dental floss to remove any decayed food particles.

5. Lodged Foreign Substances

At times pieces of food may get stuck inside the root of the tooth. Before you see your dentist try using dental floss as advised above. Alternatively you can use a toothpick but with a lot of care.

6. Abscessed Teeth Dental Emergency

These are infections common to the areas around the tooth or in between the teeth and gums. They are normally very serious and can cause severe damage to the teeth.

How to handle an abscess:

Never ignore or try to use any form of self-medication for an abscessed tooth. Visit one of our Country Dental emergency dentist immediately as the infection may spread if left unattended. Don’t hesitate to visit us at one of our two Country Dental locations and we will immediately attend to you.

7. Soft Tissue Injury Emergency

Your teeth are surrounded by numerous soft tissues such as the mouth, gums, lips, cheeks, and even the tongue. Any form of injury to these delicate soft tissue areas may result into pain and bleeding.

What to do when soft tissues are injured:

Rinse your mouth with warm salted water.
Apply pressure to the bleeding area using a moistened tea bag.
Use a cold compress to reduce pain, swelling and regulate bleeding.

Conclusion

It is important that any form of dental emergency, be it injury or pain, be taken seriously. If you ignore a simple toothache it might worsen and become very expensive to treat.

At our Country Dental clinics in Cambridge, Fergus, and Toronto Ontario, you will get all the dental advice and medical attention you need. There is no dental emergency too big for Country Dental to handle. We will get you into our dental office and out of pain in a same-day appointment.

If you are looking for the best dental care in Cambridge, Fergus or Toronto then contact our Country Dental clinic to book a dental appointment immediately.

Dental Emergency FAQ

What is a dental emergency?

Among others, an abscessed tooth, severe toothache, broken or knock-out teeth, trauma to the jaw or mouth, gum infection or swelling, excessive bleeding gums, or damaged orthodontics are all dental emergencies that would require immediate intervention.

Can you go to ER for a dental emergency?

Yes, if your dentist is unavailable or if you are unable to access emergency dental care, you can go to the ER if you have a dental emergency.

Can you call 911 for a dental emergency?

Yes, you can call 911 if your dental emergency is severe such as trauma to the mouth or jaw and requires immediate attention or poses a threat to your health or well-being.

Where to go for a dental emergency?

If you have a dental emergency, first try your regular dentist. If they are closed or unavailable, there are many local dental clinics that offer emergency dental services. If your emergency is severe and requires immediate attention, go to the ER of the nearest hospital.

What to do for emergency dental pain?

For minor toothaches or pain use over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Advil, or Aspirin. If the pain is severe or unbearable, contact your dentist or emergency dental clinic, or visit the nearest ER.