Emergency Dental Care

When you’re experiencing a toothache, first rinse the mouth with warm water. Then use dental floss to remove any food lodged between your teeth. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek if the mouth shows signs of swelling and see an Affordable Smiles dentist as soon as possible.

Retrieve the lost tooth by holding it by the crown, or the part that is usually exposed in the mouth, and rinse it off with water, if dirty. Do not scrub the tooth or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible, try to put the tooth back in place and make sure it’s facing the right way. Never force it into the socket. If it’s not possible to reinsert the tooth, save it in a small container of milk or water containing a half-teaspoon of table salt if milk is not available. You may also use a product containing a cell growth medium, such as Save-a-Tooth. Knocked-out teeth with the highest chances of being saved are those seen by the dentist and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out. See an Affordable Smiles dentist as quickly as possible.

Be sure to save any pieces of a chipped tooth if possible. Rinse your mouth with warm water as well as your broken saved pieces. If you’re experiencing bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. To relieve pain and swelling, apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip need the chipped or broken tooth. See your Affordable Smiles dentist as soon as possible.

See an Affordable Smiles dentist right away. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area to relieve pain until you reach the dentist’s office. Take an over-counter pain reliever if needed.

As a temporary measure, stick a piece of sugarless gum (sugar-filled gum will cause pain) into the cavity or use an over-the-counter dental cement. See an Affordable Smiles dentist as soon as possible.

Make an appointment to see one of our Affordable Smiles dentists as soon as possible if the crown falls off. Be sure to bring the crown with you. 

If you can’t get to the dentist right away, try slipping the crown back over the tooth by coating the inner surface with an over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste, or denture adhesive, to help hold the crown in place. Do NOT use super glue!

If a wire is poking your cheek, tongue, or gum, try using the eraser end of a pencil to push the wire into a more comfortable position. You can also cover the end with orthodontic wax, a small cotton ball, or a piece of gauze until you can get to your orthodontist’s office if you cannot move the wire yourself. Never cut the wire, as you could end up swallowing it or breathing it into your lungs. See an Affordable Smiles dentist as soon as possible.

Temporarily reattach loose braces with a small piece of orthodontic wax. Alternatively, place the wax over the braces to provide a cushion. See your orthodontist as soon as possible. If the problem is a loose band, save it and call your orthodontist for an appointment to have it recemented or replaced (and to have missing spacers replaced).

An abscess is an infection that occurs around the root of a tooth or in the space between the teeth and gums. This is a serious condition that can damage tissue and surrounding teeth and cause serious oral pain if left untreated the infection may possibly spread to other parts of the body and cause general health problems. If you discover a pimple-like swelling on your gum that is unusually painful, you may have an abscess and need to see a dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime before your appointment, try rinsing your mouth with a mild saltwater solution (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of water) several times a day, to ease the pain and draw the pus toward the surface.

Injuries to the soft tissues, which include the tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips, can result in bleeding. If you are experiencing bleeding, do the following:

• Rinse your mouth with a mild salt-water solution
• Use a moistened piece of gauze or tea bag to apply pressure to the bleeding site. Hold in place for 15 to 20 minutes.
• To both control bleeding and relieve pain, hold a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes.

See one of our dentists right away or go to a hospital emergency room if the bleeding doesn’t stop. Continue to apply pressure on the bleeding site with the gauze until you can be seen and treated.