Do you have a dental emergency plan in place? Most people end up putting one together only after they have experienced a painful toothache or traumatic dental injury. To save yourself the hassle of looking up an emergency dentist when your mouth is already hurting, go ahead and put Real Dental’s number into your phone now. Our expert team is able to handle every type of urgent dental situation you can imagine, plus we’re happy to schedule same-day appointments for emergency dentistry in Grand Prairie, TX, so no one ever has to be left waiting while in pain.
There are many different types of dental emergencies, all of which can come in different severities. Some take months to develop before causing noticeable discomfort, like a slow-moving dental infection, while others occur in the blink of an eye, like an injury related to a sporting accident. Whatever the case may be, if you encounter a situation that involves a lot of dental pain, you should give our dental office a call first. We’ll talk you through the situation, schedule you for an immediate appointment, and share first-aid tips you can use in the moment, such as:
Gently rinse and floss around the aching tooth to remove any food debris that might be stuck. If this doesn’t help, it’s OK to take an OTC medication, but do NOT place an aspirin directly on the gums near a tooth—this can lead to a chemical burn and additional issues.
Collect as many pieces of the tooth that you can, place them in a safe container, and remember to bring them to our dental office. A clean rag or napkin with some pressure can help stop any bleeding, and use a cold compress to manage swelling. Be sure to cover the remaining tooth with some sugarless gum or dental wax to prevent it from accidentally injuring the inside of the mouth.
Pick up the tooth by the crown (top portion) only, and gently rinse it with some water, being careful to NOT remove any tissue still attached to the root. Put the tooth under the tongue. This will preserve it until we can see you. Ideally, you should get to our dental office within an hour of the accident to give us the best chance of putting the tooth back into place.
Can you find the restoration? If so, rinse it off, and place it back onto your tooth. This is a temporary fix, and you should schedule an appointment to get a full repair soon. If the restoration is gone or completely broken, avoid chewing near the tooth, and cover it with some sugarless gum to prevent bacteria or food debris from collecting in it.
A few simple habits will ensure you and your loved ones never have to make a sudden, unexpected visit to the dentist:
While the cost of treating a dental emergency will always be different depending on a patient’s unique situation, one piece of advice is universal: you should seek out treatment as quickly as possible. By waiting, you only allow a problem to become worse, which means it will likely require more involved (i.e. expensive) treatment to fix. To minimize both the pain and cost associated with a dental emergency, your best bet is to contact us without delay.
