One of the worst things about a dental emergency is how they can catch you unprepared. As much as we hope you never have to deal with it, taking a few simple steps today can help things go as smoothly as possible if a dental emergency ever does come up.

How to prepare for a dental emergency

1. Try not to panic. The first thing you should know about dental emergencies is that they can be scary. Whether you’re handling an injury, infection, or unexpected toothache, dental problems are frequently overwhelming and it’s hard not to lose your cool.Remember that bleeding can look worse than it is when there’s an injury to the mouth because it mixes with saliva.
2. Prepare a dental first aid kit. You can set up a separate kit, or just add a few extra items to an existing first aid kit. It should include:
   – Sterile gauze pads
   – Dental adhesive like Fixodent
   – Orthodontic wax or sugar-free gum
   – Pain relief medication
   – Black tea bags
   – Clean Ziploc baggies or a clean small container
   – Nitrile gloves (like latex gloves, but without the allergy risk)
   – A dental mirror
   – Dental floss
   – Your dentist’s contact information
3. Have your dentist’s contact information on-hand. Other than putting their card in your dental first aid kit, be sure you’re never left scrambling to find your dentist’s number in an emergency.Most people don’t think to save their dentist’s number in their phone. But having the number somewhere that’s easy to find when you need emergency dentistry can save precious time.

Now that you’re prepared for a dental emergency, let’s look at what to do if you’re dealing with a few of the most common types of urgent dental problems.

1. What to do if a tooth gets knocked out

Teeth can get partially or fully displaced from the socket any time there’s blunt impact to the head or jaw. Car crashes, biking accidents, sports injuries, trip-and-fall incidents, or even running into another person like when kids are playing can all lead to a knocked-out tooth.

Even if it’s a baby tooth, it’s worth contacting your dentist. We’ll need to examine the area and make sure there are no other issues like root fragments left behind.

But what should you do if you lose a permanent tooth?

• Pick up the tooth by the crown only. Do not touch the root of the tooth.
  Only touch the part that’s usually visible in the mouth.
• Rinse very gently with clean, room-temperature water, but do not scrub or wipe it.
• If possible, gently place the tooth back in the socket, being sure that it’s turned the right way. You can hold it in place by gently biting on a piece of gauze.
• Otherwise, you can hold the tooth in the base of your cheek or put it in a clean baggie or container and cover it with milk. As a last resort, you can use plain water. There are also specialty tooth preservation products like Save-A-Tooth, which you can add to your dental first aid kit.
• Call us immediately. The sooner you get to a dentist, the better the chances of saving your tooth. You should ideally see a dentist within 30 minutes if possible.

If the socket is bleeding, bite on a few folded sterile gauze pads or a moist tea bag.

Even if your tooth can’t be saved, don’t worry. We will help you enjoy a complete, functional, beautiful smile again with tooth replacement options like dental implants or dental bridges.

2. What should you do if you have a toothache?

Not all toothaches are true dental emergencies, but it can be hard to tell what’s urgent and what’s an emergency. Toothaches may feel like a dull ache, or they may feel like sharp, stabbing, or throbbing pain.

If your toothache doesn’t get better with over-the-counter painkillers, wakes you up at night, or is accompanied by swelling, fever, or a bad taste in the mouth, you may need an emergency dentist.

In the meantime, you may be able to reduce the pain by:

• Rinsing with warm water to help clean the area around the tooth. Adding a little salt to the water can also help.
• Flossing gently to remove stuck food particles that can push on the teeth and create pain.
• Applying a cold compress to the outside of the cheek.
• Taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen. But never hold aspirin against your gums or teeth, because it can burn the tissue.

We encourage you to call us any time you have tooth pain so we can help you figure out what’s going on. We’ll be able to give you detailed instructions over the phone, based on your individual situation.

3. What to do if you break or chip a tooth

Teeth may break or chip because of biting into an unexpected hard piece of food, or because of blunt injuries like the teeth slamming together during sports (which is why we always recommend a mouth guard).

A broken or even chipped tooth can become painful, sensitive, and leave sharp edges that cut the lips or tongue.

So what should you do about a broken tooth?

• Rinse with warm water to remove any debris.
• Save the pieces if at all possible so that your dentist can look at them.
• Apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek to reduce swelling if necessary.
• Cover the sharp edges with dental wax or sugar-free gum to protect your mouth from cuts until you can see a dentist.
• Take over-the-counter pain relief to manage discomfort if needed.

Chipped and even broken teeth don’t necessarily mean you need an emergency dentist. However, you should absolutely call us to determine the best course of action for your individual needs.

4. What to do if a filling or crown falls out?

Dental work may fail because of new cavities that develop under a restoration, weakened enamel that has cracked or fractured, or because the restoration has reached the end of its lifespan. A tooth that has lost a filling or crown may feel sensitive or painful.

In most cases, although it can be very alarming, a lost restoration is an urgent dental need and not a true emergency, which means there is no need to panic!

Obviously, you’ll need to call your dentist to have the restoration repaired or replaced as soon as possible. In the meantime,

• Keep the restoration. In many cases, a lost crown can be attached again.
• Keep the area clean. Rinse your mouth with warm water and try to brush, floss, or use a water flosser to keep the area clean until you can see your dentist.
• Protect the tooth with dental wax or use a dental adhesive to hold the restoration in place. Do not use glue that is not specifically intended for dental use.
• Avoid sticky foods that can dislodge the temporarily attached restoration.

You may also want to avoid hard, crunchy foods that may cause pain, as well as extremely hot or cold foods that can trigger sensitivity.

5. What should you do if you have a tooth infection or abscess?

An abscess is a painful infection that may develop around the root of a tooth or between the tooth and gum. It can cause swelling, fever, and foul tastes. You may also notice pus coming from the gums, or a pimple that develops high on the outside surface of the gums, near where the cheeks attach to the gums.

• Rinse with salt water to help draw pus to the surface, which may reduce pain.
• Apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek.
• Take over-the-counter pain relief.
• Call us immediately. An abscess is a serious condition that needs prompt treatment. We may be able to call in an antibiotic to your pharmacy so that you can start getting relief right away.

GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IMMEDIATELY if you or someone you’re caring for shows signs of a severe infection. Severe dental infections can become life-threatening.

Signs of a severe infection include:

• Swelling in the face, neck, eyes, or gums that has spread beyond the area of your toothache.
• A fever over 101°
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing.
• Headache, nausea, vomiting.
• Swollen lymph nodes.
• Rapid heart rate.
• Difficulty speaking.

If You Need an Emergency Dentist in Orlando, FL, We’re Here for You!

Even during hours when we’re not open, we have protocols in place to ensure you can get the help you need during a dental emergency.

However, it’s better to head to the ER if the dental emergency involves injuries to the jaw, head, or neck, if the injury has caused any dizziness, loss of consciousness, or signs of concussion, or if there is heavy bleeding that can’t be controlled with normal methods like biting on a gauze pad.

When you’re dealing with a dental emergency, you should never be left scrambling to find a dentist. We want you to always have peace of mind that our team is here for you, even if that means connecting you with an emergency dentist near you at that moment.

In all cases, we’ll be here to restore your smile to its full function and beauty once the emergency has been handled. Because even in an emergency, we want to help you keep smiling, Orlando!