Emergency Dentistry

What is emergency dentistry?

Emergency dentistry refers to the treatment of dental injuries or conditions that require immediate attention. In most cases, this means treating knocked-out, broken, or chipped teeth or diagnosing and treating swelling and pain in your gums. McCormack Dental Group offers same-day care for dental emergencies at all of its locations.

What are some common dental emergencies?

Dental emergencies can be scary and painful but are quite common. Some of the most common dental emergencies include:

• Knocked-out teeth
• A loose permanent tooth
• A severely broken, chipped, or cracked tooth
• Extreme pain around a tooth or in the gums
• Bleeding from the cheeks, gums, or tongue
• Swelling in the cheeks, gums, or tongue
  
  

If you only slightly chip your tooth, it may not constitute a dental emergency. Just to be safe, contact the team at McCormack Dental Group to find out if you should seek emergency treatment.

What do I do if I have a dental emergency?

McCormack Dental Group is experienced in all types of dental emergencies and can help instruct you on how to handle your situation before you get to the office. The following list will tell you what actions to take when some of the most common dental emergencies strike:

Broken Tooth

A broken tooth can lead to severe pain and cosmetic damage. By visiting McCormack Dental Group in a timely manner, the chances of restoring your tooth for cosmetic purposes increase. The team will also do everything in their power to ease your pain as soon as possible. 

Loose or Missing Tooth

If your tooth is loose or missing, don’t panic. If you act quickly, there is a very good chance you can save the tooth. First, clean both the injured tooth and the inside of your mouth with water. Be sure to handle the tooth by the white crown, and not by the root. 

If the tooth is knocked out completely, try to gently place it back in the socket and hold it in place by lightly biting down on a gauze pad. If you can’t hold the tooth in the socket, store it in your cheek, or in a glass of milk until you can get to McCormack Dental Group.

Abscessed Tooth

If you’re experiencing extreme tooth pain or pain in your gums, you may have an abscessed tooth. An abscessed tooth is especially painful and can cause a pocket of pus to form around your tooth. This means that the tooth is infected, and will likely require root canal treatment to save the tooth from extraction. 

Pericoronitis and Pulpitis

Pericoronitis and pulpitis also involve painful swelling and are signs of infection in the wisdom teeth and tooth pulp, respectively. If you think you have either of these conditions, you should seek immediate dental care.

When do dental emergencies require tooth extraction?

While fast action can help save an injured or infected tooth, there are some cases where a tooth needs extraction. This can happen if a tooth is too cracked or broken for your dentist to repair it with a filling or crown, or it could be because infection has spread to too much of the tooth.

If your tooth requires extraction, there are a variety of options, including bridges and dental implants, that can fill the gap, prevent your remaining teeth from shifting, and restore your smile.

If you have a dental emergency, visit McCormack Dental Group as soon as possible. Call the office nearest you to let them know you are on your way or request an appointment online. Same-day care is available.