Emergency Dentistry – Hamden, CT

How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies

It can be difficult to know what to do in the event of a dental emergency. In some cases, you may not even realize that the symptoms you are experiencing are in fact urgent. For that reason, we recommend that you give our dental office a call regardless just to be sure you don’t need to schedule a same-day emergency appointment. In the meantime, there are ways to manage your situation before you arrive and prevent your emergency from getting worse.

Toothaches

Use dental floss to remove any food debris that may be stuck in between your teeth and causing pain. If this does not help, wash your mouth out with water and brush your teeth as well. If needed, take ibuprofen to alleviate discomfort and apply a cold compress to your face if swelling develops.

Chipped/Broken Tooth

Locate any pieces of your tooth that you can and place them in a clean container. Bring them to our dental office so we can examine them more closely. If your tooth is bleeding, apply pressure using a gauze pad or clean washcloth. Use a cold compress to reduce swelling. If bleeding does not stop after applying pressure for at least 10 minutes, go to the emergency room.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Do your best to locate the tooth and pick it up by the crown portion only. When cleaning the tooth of dirt or debris, do not scrub the tooth nor remove any tissue still attached. To keep it preserved, place it back into your open socket or in a container of milk or saltwater. Get to our dental office within an hour for the best chances of saving it.

Lost Filling/Dental Crown

A filling or crown that’s come loose is generally not a dental emergency, but you should still give us a call if it occurs. Fillings will likely need to be replaced outright, but dental crowns can be temporarily reseated with dental cement. This is not considered a permanent solution, so make sure to call us to schedule an appointment.

Head/Neck/Jaw Pain

Discomfort in the head, neck, or jaw could indicate an underlying issue with the jaw joints, also known as the temporomandibular joints. A cold compress as well as ibuprofen can alleviate pain in the meantime, but make sure to give us a call so we can better evaluate the source of your discomfort as well as confirm if it’s related to any existing habits (such as teeth grinding).

Preventing Dental Emergencies

While dental emergencies can’t be entirely avoided, there are steps patients and their families can take to reduce their risk of experiencing them. Always exercise caution when eating foods that are particularly tough, sticky, or difficult to chew. Wear a sportsguard (preferably a customized model from our dental office) when participating in a sporting event where physical contact with hard surfaces or other players is possible. Most importantly, schedule routine evaluations and cleanings here in Hamden, CT. These visits allow our doctors to diagnose and treat oral health concerns when they’re still relatively minor, saving you from potential emergency situations further down the road.

The Cost of Dental Emergencies

Depending on the type of dental issue you are experiencing, you may pay more or less for treating your dental emergency. While the emergency exam itself is generally not too expensive, some treatments can be more costly than others based on your symptoms. Tooth pain could mean a cavity is present and a filling needs to be placed or a deeper infection has developed and the tooth requires root canal therapy. No matter what your needs may be, we’ll always be upfront with your costs ahead of time so you’re not caught off guard by surprise dental expenses.

Root Canals

Many people associate root canal therapy with dental discomfort, but the reality is root canals are meant to alleviate pain, not cause it. This is because treatment is designed to remove infected tissue from inside the root canal, irrigate it of any residual oral bacteria, then replace removed tissue with material that protects your tooth from future infection. We’re happy to go over each step of the root canal process beforehand to ensure you are fully informed on how the procedure works, then discuss your payment options from there.

Tooth Extractions

Ideally, tooth extractions are the last treatment option we recommend because of how many other services there are available to us that save natural teeth. However, if we believe the tooth is too damaged to salvage or is very likely to cause harm to your mouth, we may suggest an extraction to protect your long-term oral health. After administering local anesthetic, we’ll gently rock the tooth back and forth to loosen it from the tooth socket. Once taken out of your jaw, you’ll be asked to bite down onto a gauze pad and given instructions for at-home care.