While businesses are closed or limited during the COVID-19 pandemic, Laurel Smiles Dental Care is available to take emergency dentistry cases for our patients. Your Laurel, MD dentist, Dr. Sahil Goyal, discusses what constitutes a dental emergency and what you should do when one happens.
What Do I Do During a Dental Emergency?
The first thing you should do when a dental emergency occurs is to call our office right away. We can get you scheduled for an appointment as soon as possible to take care of your emergency. However, if you experience these common dental emergencies, this is what you should do as precautions until we can get you in for an appointment:
Sudden or Severe Tooth Pain
Tooth pain that comes on sharply and suddenly usually means severe tooth decay or an abscess. It can be hard to bite or chew when this happens. To alleviate the pain, utilize over the counter pain medications. You can also use a cold compress if there’s any swelling. Take care to try to avoid activities that cause more pain.
Knocked-Out Tooth
If your tooth is fully knocked out of the socket, do your best to find where the tooth landed. Make sure you avoid touching the tooth root and pick the tooth up by the crown. If there’s dirt or debris on the tooth, rinse it off gently, without any scrubbing. Place the tooth in a cup of saliva or milk to preserve it. This may be able to salvage the tooth for replacement. If the tooth is unable to be saved, we have various other methods of replacing missing teeth.
Broken, Cracked, or Chipped Tooth
Cracks, breaks, or chips on teeth can have a variety of severity. Some can be cosmetic and aren’t felt at all. It’s when they get bigger that they become a problem. If a large part of your tooth has broken and the root is exposed, avoid touching the tooth root. Try to find the piece of the tooth that’s broken off. There are multiple methods for treating broken teeth, and your dentist will evaluate which one will be most effective for your personal case.
Soft Tissue Wound
A small cut in your cheek or gum is common. However, when it’s more severe, it can turn into a problem. This can happen from facial trauma or if stitches from an oral surgery come out when they aren’t supposed to. If you experience one of these things and bleeding doesn’t stop, call us. Rinse your mouth with salt water to help keep the area clean. Take over the counter pain medication if there’s too much pain to deal with.
Emergency Care at Your Laurel, Maryland Dentist
If you’re facing a dental emergency, call us immediately so we can help relieve your pain and get you taken care of. And for after the pandemic, make sure you’re maintaining your smile. Keep in mind to call us or schedule an appointment online when businesses are fully open again to ensure your oral health is on the right track.