What to Do During Dental Emergencies

Stay Calm — Then Act Fast

Dental emergencies range from urgent-but-manageable (a lost crown, a chipped tooth) to genuinely time-sensitive (a knocked-out tooth, a spreading abscess). The most important thing is to contact your dentist immediately, even after hours. Most practices including ours have an after-hours answering service for exactly these situations. While you're making that call, knowing a few basic steps can make a real difference in outcomes.

Knocked-Out Tooth

• ·Handle the tooth by the crown only — never touch the root
• ·Rinse gently with clean water; do not scrub or remove any attached tissue
• ·Try to reinsert the tooth into the socket if you can — bite down gently on a cloth to hold it in place
• ·If reinsertion isn't possible, keep the tooth moist: in milk, saline, or between your cheek and gum
• ·Get to a dentist within 30 minutes — this is the most time-sensitive dental emergency; after an hour, the odds of successful replantation drop significantly

Cracked or Broken Tooth

• ·Rinse with warm water to clean the area
• ·Apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek to reduce swelling
• ·Save any fragments of the tooth if you can
• ·Cover sharp edges with sugar-free gum or dental wax from a pharmacy
• ·Avoid chewing on that side until you're seen — exposed pulp can become infected quickly

Lost Filling or Crown

• ·Keep the crown if it came off intact — your dentist may be able to re-cement it
• ·You can temporarily reattach a crown with a small amount of denture adhesive (not super glue)
• ·Avoid chewing on the exposed tooth, which will be sensitive
• ·Call your dentist promptly — the longer a crown is off, the more the underlying tooth can shift or decay

Dental Abscess: Don't Wait This One Out

An abscess is a bacterial infection that appears as a swollen, painful bump near a tooth root or between the gum and tooth. Left untreated, dental infections can spread to the jaw, neck, and in rare cases become life-threatening. Signs include severe throbbing pain, facial swelling, fever, and a foul taste in your mouth. Rinse with salt water for temporary relief, but this situation needs same-day or emergency dental care.