Dental Emergencies
Emergencies are an unfortunate fact of life. While most dental emergencies aren’t life threatening, they can certainly make it less comfortable and can lead to permanent damage. Pain and swelling are miserable, and nobody should have to deal with them for days while they wait to see the dentist.
At Ponce de Leon Family Dentistry, we will make every effort to see you the very same day. We’ll assess your condition and determine the most appropriate treatment to relieve your pain and, ideally, save your tooth.
Are you visiting from out of town? Even if we’re not your usual dentist, go ahead and call. Dr. Haeussner will be happy to see you and help you feel better fast.
Am I Having a Dental Emergency?
Some of the most common issues we see here at our St. Augustine dental office include:
- Broken teeth
- Teeth that have been knocked loose or knocked out
- Unexplained toothache
- Infections
- Lost restorations
- Foreign objects lodged between teeth that can’t be removed with brushing or floss
- Injury to the soft tissues such as the gums, lips, or palate
If you have sustained an injury that caused you to lose consciousness, you suspect a fractured bone, or you have a high fever or bleeding that doesn’t stop with pressure, this is a medical emergency. Please go to your nearest emergency room. We are happy to help with your dental emergency, but we are not equipped to manage a medical emergency.
What if It’s After Hours?
Emergencies often don’t happen at convenient times. Maybe it’s seven o’clock on a Tuesday night and while you were out to dinner with friends, you bit down on an olive pit and cracked your tooth. Maybe it’s Saturday afternoon and in the midst of your child’s softball game, they catch a fly ball with their mouth instead of their glove. Ouch!
If you have an emergency after office hours, please call the regular office line. You will be provided with instructions on how to reach us after hours for an emergency.
In the meantime, there are steps you can take to feel a bit better until we can get you in:
- For a broken tooth – Find all the pieces you can and keep them together to bring with you to your appointment.
- For a knocked-out tooth – Find the tooth, and handle it carefully, without touching the root. Rinse it lightly and place it in a container of milk, saline solution, or even saliva. If possible, place it back in the socket and bite down gently to keep it in place. In some cases, we may be able to reseat the tooth, but time is crucial so call us immediately..
- For tooth pain or swelling – Use ice packs against your cheek, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Take an over-the-counter pain medication or anti-inflammatory (like ibuprofen) according to package directions.
- For an infection – An infection often looks like a pimple-like lesion on your gum. Do not disturb the lesion. Swish with a warm salt water solution.
Please keep in mind that these treatments are only temporary and you should still be seen as soon as possible. An infection, in particular, won’t go away without treatment and could be dangerous if it allowed to progress unchecked.
Are You in Pain? Call Now!
You don’t have to live with dental pain. Please call our office now to request an emergency appointment.
