Dental Emergency

Dental emergencies take place just like any other emergency – at the most inopportune times. Dental emergencies can range from painful cavities to forced out teeth from traumatic accidents or injuries. Regardless of why you have an emergency, our office is open and ready for you and your family members.

Dr. Dat Pham has years of experience correcting severe cavities, broken teeth, forced out teeth, and severed gums. If your emergency takes place after hours, we will gladly provide you with after-hours aid in the event of your emergency.

Before coming into Grand Smiles Dental, there are several things you should do in the case of your emergency. Here are several processes to consider and follow regarding various emergencies:

• Toothache – If your cheek or gum area is swollen, use cold compression, like an icepack, to bring the swelling down by placing it on the outside of the mouth where the pain is located. Cleaning the tooth that is pain, through brushing and flossing may help alleviate some of the pain and irritation. Also, rinse your mouth with warm water.
• Chipped teeth – Rinse your mouth with warm water. Save all the remaining pieces of your teeth and bring them with you when you arrive. Use cold compression if there is swelling. Also, use compression with a gauze to stop any possible bleeding in the cheek, lip or gums.
• Broken teeth – Follow the same rules as above for chipped teeth. Compress any bleeding until it stops.
• Avulsed teeth – If your tooth or teeth have been forcibly removed due to a traumatic incident, be sure to gather the tooth and wash it. When washing the tooth, be sure not to wash or scrub away any tissue or tissue fragments. If you cannot place the teeth back in its socket, then place the tooth either in milk or salt water. Whether you are able to put the tooth back into the socket or not, try to reach our office within one hour of it being removed; this timely execution will provide your tooth the highest chance of survival.
• Dislodged tooth – Due to slips or athletic injuries, a tooth may become dislodged but not completely removed. If this happens, come to our office as soon as possible. Until you reach our office, you may use cold compression for the pain or an over-the-counter pain reliever like Tylenol.
• Lost filling or crown – If this takes place, using dental cement (NOT GLUE) can help. With a filling, dental cement can fill that area. With a crown, if you can replace the crown on top of the tooth, it will help hold it in place. Even if you are successful in doing this, it is not a permanent solution. Come to Grand Smiles Dental as soon as you have the opportunity.
• Broken braces – The first thing to note if a wire breaks in your braces is DO NOT cut the wiring. Use orthodontic wax to cover the broken end until your scheduled appointment with our orthodontist.
• Abscessed tooth – This swelling can be controlled short-term by rinsing with warm salt water. This, however, is not a long-term solution and abscesses should be corrected by your dentist as soon as possible as it is capable to lead to serious health problems.

Be sure to follow all of these preliminary instructions to provide your teeth and gums the best protection during a dental emergency.

At Grand Smiles Dental, we are here to help you and your family continue with strong, healthy teeth. Don’t let a dental emergency stand in the way of good oral health.

Contact us as soon as possible and our staff will be standing by to take care of the problem in a safe and timely manner.