Our office does all possible to schedule same-day appointments in order to accommodate emergencies.
Ideally, you’ll never have to seek emergency care from our practice, but if you do, we are here to help.
The steps you should take in a dental emergency will depend on the specific issue. Use your common sense. If the injury is severe enough, go directly to your local emergency department and follow up with our office afterward for any additional care that is needed.
For issues that are less urgent but still need to be addressed as soon as possible, call our office. We will schedule you for our next available appointment and may be able to give you guidance about what to do while you are waiting to be seen.
If you delay getting care when you’re having a dental emergency, your smile can suffer devastating consequences. Act quickly to address the issue.
In some cases, patients may need to manage the issue on their own temporarily until they can be seen in our office. For this reason, it can be beneficial to keep a dental first aid kit on hand.
Your dental first aid kit should include the following items:
Keep these items together in one location so that you’ll know exactly where to go in case of emergency. Dr. Steel may recommend some other supplies specific to your case, as well.
Beyond having supplies on hand to manage the symptoms associated with dental emergencies, you should also do everything possible to prevent the emergencies from happening in the first place. The following actions can help you achieve that goal:
These recommendations require minimal effort on your part, and they can go a long way in preventing dental emergencies. Ask Dr. Steel what other steps you can take to minimize your risk of oral injuries.
A dental emergency is an urgent issue that arises in some part of your smile, such as the teeth, gums or jawbone, and requires immediate attention. Patients may experience symptoms such as a toothache, bleeding or swelling. Facial trauma that results in damage to the teeth or fractured facial bones can also be classified as a dental emergency.
If you are experiencing severe pain or have lost or broken a tooth or suffered a facial fracture, then you likely need emergency dental care of some sort. The severity of your symptoms will determine whether you should go to your local emergency department or contact our office to seek treatment. Use your best judgment.
If you break your tooth, you should call our office immediately to schedule an evaluation. We will see you as soon as possible. In the meantime, rinse your mouth with warm water and use gauze to apply pressure to the area to stop any bleeding. Place a cold pack over the cheek in the vicinity of the affected tooth to reduce swelling. If the break has resulted in a jagged edge that could injure the soft oral tissues, place a piece of wax on the tooth to protect those soft tissues.
Dental emergencies include abscesses and other infections, toothaches, broken, cracked or avulsed (knocked out) teeth and jaw fractures, as well as lacerations to the soft oral tissues, including the gums, cheeks or lips. Dental emergencies can occur as a result of oral disease, wear and tear or facial trauma.