On a warm Saturday morning, there’s only one place you want to be, and that’s McLane Stadium, watching the Baylor Bears do battle. Today your plans are interrupted by the sharp pains of a toothache. You’ve got a dental emergency on your hands, but does it require you to head to your local emergency room? Your emergency dentist in Waco identifies common dental traumas and explains when it’s necessary to head to the hospital.
What’s a Dental Emergency?
Any situation that threatens the health of your tooth and requires immediate attention to save it, treat severe pain or stop heavy bleeding, is considered a dental emergency. Once you identify that you have an emergent situation, here’s what you should do next:
- Take a deep breath to come your nerves.
- Reach out to the professionals at your dentist’s office.
- Determine whether you need to head to the emergency room.
For a Lost Dental Crown or Filling
If your dental crown or filling is lost, it leaves your tooth vulnerable to food particles and bacteria entering the sensitive inner area. If this happens, you should contact your emergency dentist immediately. Meanwhile, you can use dental cement to temporarily hold the fixture in place.
A Cracked, Fractured or Chipped Tooth
Another painful situation can be a cracked, fractured or chipped tooth. While your saliva will typically provide some relief by de-sensitizing the area over a 24-hour period, it’s still important to reach out to the staff at your emergency dentist’s office to schedule a visit.
A Partially Dislodged Tooth
For a partially dislodged tooth, you can rinse your mouth with a salt-water solution to limit the spread of bacteria and be sure not to chew any food on that side of the mouth until you can be seen by your emergency dentist.
A Knocked-Out Tooth
For a knocked-out tooth, grab it by the crown and soak it in a saline solution to prevent any infection and to keep the roots alive. It’s imperative that you contact your emergency dentist immediately so that the tooth can be re-inserted within a two-to-six-hour window.
For an Object Stuck Between Teeth
If you have an object stuck between your teeth, you can try to rinse your mouth with a salt-water solution and carefully floss to remove it. If that is unsuccessful, then you should reach out for help.
A Painful Toothache
A toothache can be the result of a cracked tooth or severe decay. After contacting your emergency dentist, you can do the following:
- Rinse with salt-water.
- Take up to 600 mg of ibuprofen for pain relief.
- Apply ice to the outside of your face to reduce the swelling.
Go to the Hospital for These Dental Emergencies
While most dental emergencies need fast attention, they aren’t threatening enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. Here are two situations that may require an immediate visit to the emergency room:
- An Injury to the Jaw – If you’ve received a sudden blow to the face that has caused severe pain in the jaw, then it’s best to head to your local emergency room immediately. That’s because you may have fractured or dislocated the joint, which are both very tedious situations.
- An Injury to the Soft Tissues – If an injury to your soft tissues results in bleeding that lasts for more than 10 minutes, then you should definitely head to the emergency room.
Although having a dental emergency is not your idea of a fun Saturday, with the help of your dentist in Waco, you can recover fast and get back to living a normal life.
About the Author
Dr. Wendy Winarick earned her dental degree from the University of Texas School of Dentistry-Houston and has been a fixture in the Waco community for nearly two decades. In her quest to provide patients with the best care, Dr. Winarick receives continuing education from the annual Solea meeting. She provides comprehensive care, which includes emergency dentistry, at Dental Station, and she can be reached for more information through her website.