A dental emergency can be stressful and frightening, especially if you are in pain or bleeding. However, it is important to stay as calm as possible while you assess what is happened and carry out any immediate first aid that is necessary. For example, stemming the flow of blood from your tooth or recovering a tooth that has been knocked out. If you’ve lost all or part of a tooth and can recover it, you should pop it in a glass of water or milk to preserve it. Make sure that you don’t touch the root as doing so, even gently, could damage it and make it less likely to reattach successfully.
When you can, contact our dental office and explain the nature of your emergency to our team. They will carry out a brief telephone assessment of your condition to determine if you need a same-day dental appointment. We may also give you additional guidance on what you should do until your appointment.
The primary objective of emergency dental care is to help alleviate any extreme pain, stop any bleeding, and restore your teeth’ function. What happens will be determined by the nature of your emergency. Some examples include:
- Strong pain relievers are prescribed.
- Antibiotics are prescribed to treat an infection.
- Performing a dental emergency, such as a root canal or tooth extraction
- Carrying out a temporary repair to restore the function of your teeth, such as a filling or crown (you’ll then need to return in a regular appointment to have a bespoke restoration created and fitted).
If you have any questions about emergency dental care, please contact our experienced and knowledgeable dental team in Long Beach, CA, who would be happy to offer their knowledge and guidance.