What does an emergency dentist do?

An emergency dentist addresses any dental problem that requires immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or save a tooth. Many dental emergencies are situations that involve saving broken or knocked-out teeth, and other involve root canals and gum treatments. Making it to Rockwell Dentistry as soon as you can after your injury, preferably within 30 minutes, could mean the difference between saving and losing your injured tooth.

What constitutes a dental emergency?

If you’re worried about a severe mouth injury you or a family member has sustained, it’s the right time to call Rockwell Dentistry for emergency dental care. These types of situations are generally considered dental emergencies:

• Knocked-out teeth
• A loose permanent tooth
• Intense tooth or mouth pain
• Bleeding inside your mouth from your cheeks, tongue, or gums
• Trauma to your mouth or face
• Swelling in your gums, tongue, or mouth
• A badly cracked or broken tooth
• A tear or laceration on your lips

If a tooth is slightly chipped and doesn’t hurt, you might not be dealing with a dental emergency. Even so, it’s a good idea to contact one of the experienced dentists at Rockwell Dentistry so they can tell you how to handle your tooth until you can get to the office.

How do I care for a knocked-out tooth?

A knocked-out tooth is a serious dental emergency. If you don’t receive immediate dental care, you could lose the tooth entirely. If a tooth is knocked out, clean both the injured tooth and inside your mouth and rinse your mouth and tooth with lukewarm water. Do your best to avoid touching the tooth’s roots.

Hold the tooth by the crown (the smooth white top part) as you rinse it. Using light pressure, reposition the cleaned tooth in the empty socket in your gum. Bite down softly on a gauze pad to hold the tooth in place until you can get to Rockwell Dentistry. Call the office right away, or have someone call for you who can explain the situation.

If the tooth can’t be replaced in the empty socket, place it in a small cup of cold milk. The milk will help preserve the roots until you can make it into the office.

Don’t let a broken tooth prevent you from enjoying your smile. Call Rockwell Dentistry for expert assistance in the event of a dental emergency or use online booking to schedule the next available appointment. Same-day visits are accommodated.