Just like a broken pipe or a clogged toilet, dental emergencies rarely seem to happen during normal business hours. That’s part of the reason we have later weekday hours, along with Saturday hours — to help you out with dental emergencies.
At Gentle Dental we perform many emergency procedures such as extractions, root canals, bonding and crowns to restore broken teeth, and the repair of broken dentures. It’s paramount that you shouldn’t ignore a dental injury because this can often make the problem worse. Here are some cases when emergency dental service is needed.
Knocked out teeth
You were playing catch and your son threw the ball when you weren’t looking. Ouch! And now you have a tooth knocked out. First, retrieve it and rinse if off with water. Don’t scrub it or remove any tissue fragments; they may help save your tooth. Try and put the tooth back in place, but if you can’t, put it in a glass of milk or water with a pinch of salt. The tooth has a better chance of being saved if you see us within the first few hours.
Chipped or broken teeth
Lose a filling or a crown? Call us right away. You can temporarily fill the gap with sugarless gum or dental cement. Don’t use sugared gum; it will cause pain. If a crown is off, find it and bring it with you. Reattach it is possible and you can keep it in place with over-the-counter dental cement or denture adhesive. Clove oil (in the drug store or spice aisle in the grocery) can alleviate the pain and sensitivity in the area.
Toothaches
Thoroughly rinse your mouth with warm water to make sure it’s clean, and floss to remove any food lodged between your teeth. There are brush-on over-the-counter toothache relievers, but don’t get the substance on your gums. If the toothache lasts more than a day or two, call us.
Objects stuck between your teeth
Try and floss them out. If they don’t come out, call us. Don’t use sharp objects to try and dislodge them.
Office hours or not, call the pros at Gentle Dental for any dental emergency, (732) 549-5660.
