It’s no surprise that no one expects a dental emergency to occur. With that said, having a place you can call your dental home when a piece of food or physical injury damages your teeth is always better. The last thing you should do is put off seeing a dentist when a dental emergency happens, which is why Dr. Moreira and his team will do everything possible to get you seen right away. Call our dental office and we’ll help you get out of discomfort and on the right path towards treatment with emergency dentistry in Litchfield Park, AZ.
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When a dental emergency occurs, you should not assume that you can resolve it on your own or that it will naturally get better. Instead, it’s crucial that you get it taken care of with the help of a dental professional. The first thing you should do is call our dental office so we can get you seen (ideally the same day.) From there, we can also give you helpful advice on improving your situation until you visit. To start managing your emergency now, consider the tips below.
Remove about 12 to 18 inches of dental floss and try removing food particles from between the tooth experiencing discomfort. If this does not help, take over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and follow the instructions on the label. Do not take aspirin as its been known to cause burning sensations if it contacts oral tissue. If decay is present, we can remove it and place a dental filling or crown.
Look for loose pieces of your tooth and bring them to the dental office. Avoid chewing food until the tooth is covered with a crown. If there is no discomfort after the tooth chips or the crack does not extend beneath the gum line, you can wait until regular business hours to receive care. If your mouth begins to swell, place a cold compress against your face for 10 minutes, then remove for an additional 10 minutes. Do this for up to one hour.
Try to keep calm and look for the missing tooth. If located, pick it up only by the crown portion. Do not touch the root or remove any tissue on the tooth. If covered in dirt or debris, gently rinse it and try to place it back into your open socket. If this is not possible, you can keep it in milk or salt water until you get to our dental office. Just be sure to do so within the hour so you can improve your chances of reimplanting it. We can also lay out tooth replacement options if necessary.
Using dental cement, denture adhesive, or sugar-free chewing gum, you can temporarily reattach the restoration to your tooth to keep it covered until you arrive. If you do not have the restoration any longer, avoid chewing food on that side of your mouth for now, especially if it feels sensitive. We will likely need to replace the crown or filling outright.
There are many ways to reduce your risk of experiencing a dental emergency, even if they can be extremely difficult to predict. Just a few ways to avoid them include:
Brushing twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste
Flossing at least once a day
Visiting our dental office once every six months for an exam and cleaning
Never chewing on inedible objects or extremely hard foods (think pens, pencils, bottles, ice cubes, hard candy, etc.)
Wearing a nightguard if your grind your teeth
Wearing a custom mouthguard if you play contact sports
Avoiding habits that damaged teeth, such as biting your nails
We can’t know for sure what your dental emergency will cost to treat until you come to our dental office for an exam. This is because depending on the type of emergency you’re experiencing (i.e. toothache vs. a knocked-out tooth), we won’t know which treatment will be necessary to help you. For example, a dental cleaning and filling for a cavity is cheaper than treating an infected tooth via root canal therapy. With that said, we’re happy to work with you when it comes to financing your care, so you don’t have to skip a visit solely because of cost.
When you sustain a dental injury, it’s natural for your mind to race with questions. What is considered a dental emergency? Where should you turn for help? How can you manage your pain until your appointment? To help prevent your experience from becoming an anxiety-inducing one, we have listed a few frequently asked questions below. However, if you need immediate treatment from our emergency dentist, Dr. Moreira, contact our office right away.
In short, dental emergencies are non-life-threatening injuries that necessitate immediate attention from a dentist to stop bleeding, relieve pain, or save your tooth. A few common examples include knocked-out teeth, painful toothaches, unusual swelling, abnormal bleeding, and loose teeth. However, if you are ever uncertain, don’t hesitate to contact our office. From there, our experienced staff can help you determine whether the injury requires an urgent visit or an appointment at your earliest convenience.
When it comes to treating your teeth and gums, scheduling an appointment with Dr. Moreira is usually the best option. After all, he has extensive experience in everything from dental crowns and dental implants to root canals and extractions. However, if your injury results in a life-threatening condition (like the ones below), then you should head straight to the emergency room:
Oral bleeding that lasts longer than 10 minutes.
A broken jawbone.
Severe facial trauma.
Abnormal symptoms that inhibit your ability to breathe or swallow.
From a small chip to a completely knocked-out tooth, all dental emergencies require attention from a dental professional. That being said, there are a few steps you can take to manage your discomfort until your appointment:
Use a cold compress to alleviate swelling and numb the area.
Rinse with salt and warm water to prevent infection and reduce irritation.
Take over-the-counter pain medication to manage pain.
Try as we may to practice precaution, accidents can happen. Therefore, it is a good idea to prepare an emergency dental kit in the event that you or a loved one experiences a dental emergency. If you don’t have one already, make sure to include the below items in your emergency bag:
Floss
A dental mirror
Temporary fillings
Gauze
Disposable gloves
A small container to hold a knocked-out tooth
Over-the-counter pain-relief medication
Our contact information (specifically, our address and phone number)
If a sports-related incident knocks out your front tooth, a mild toothache becomes incredibly painful, or any unusual oral health-related symptoms arise, don’t hesitate to contact our office. That way, Dr. Moreira can restore your pain-free smile!
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Office Hours
Monday 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Tuesday 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Wednesday 7:30 am – 3:30 pm
Thursday 7:30 am – 3:30 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
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