Emergency Dentistry Available During COVID-19
During the coronavirus “shutdown”, Mesa dentists had to close their doors for any service outside of emergency dentistry or medically necessary care that might have required a trip to the hospital ER. As Eastport Dental begins to reopen for regular services, there are still a large number of dental emergencies because of dental offices being closed for nearly two months.
Understanding what an emergency is and what to do when it happens can help safe your smile and get you out of pain as quickly as possible.
Knocked Out or Chipped Tooth
Broken and knocked-out teeth are a scary, painful, and common dental emergency. Bottom line stay as calm as possible. Try to locate the missing tooth fragment but take care to only handle it by the crown (do not touch the root.) If the tooth is still whole, gently rinse it off and reinsert it into the socket. Otherwise, store it in milk and bring it straight to our Mesa dentist.
Crown Coming Off
Dental crowns can come off for a variety of reasons. If you were chewing something sticky, it might cause the bonding agent to come loose and pull the cap off. Or if you were developing a new cavity around the edge of your restoration, the decay could have disrupted the area so that the crown had nothing to hold on to.
Any time you lose a crown, it’s important to not try to fix it yourself with glues or bonding agents. The best thing to do is to store the crown in a zip-top bag and bring it to our office. As long as your tooth is healthy, Dr. Huynh may be able to bond the crown back into place. Occasionally, we may suggest using something like toothpaste to create a temporary suction that holds your crown in place (especially if it’s on a front tooth.) But if that’s the case, you need to be extremely careful not to chew on that side of your mouth.
Broken Fillings
Older fillings will gradually start to leak over time as the margins detach or pull away from your tooth. That’s why it’s so important for Dr. Huynh to examine your bite on a regular basis.
If you already knew that you had an old filling that was starting to leak, you might not be surprised with the filling comes out. The tooth may or may not hurt. Make sure not to chew on that side of your mouth, as even a small amount of pressure could cause the remaining tooth structure to crack apart. It’s best to see us within the next few days to have the filling replaced. Waiting much longer could require more extensive treatment (like a crown.) In the meantime, you can consider picking up a “temporary filling kit” at the drugstore, to prevent food from getting lodged down inside of your tooth.
Abscessed Tooth
Dental abscesses usually look like a small pimple (called a “fistula”) that’s on the gums just next to an infected tooth. The small swelling is caused by infection that’s draining through the tip of the root and out through the tissues next to it.
Sometimes abscessed teeth hurt, other times they do not. Since the nerve inside of your tooth is infected or dying, the pain level can vary from one person to the next.
Once an abscess develops, the only way to protect your tooth and prevent an emergency extraction is to initiate root canal therapy on it.
Bleeding or Swelling
Minor swelling can be treated with over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like Advil or ibuprofen. If it’s isolated to a specific area, clean your tooth and floss around it to check for any food stuck between your teeth.
As far as bleeding, apply firm pressure to the area for a few minutes until the bleeding subsides.
If bleeding doesn’t improve and is heavy, or if you’re experiencing severe swelling that’s spreading into your face, head to the nearest Mesa emergency room.
Toothaches and Tooth Pain
When you’re in pain, you need to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible. Call Eastport Dental as soon as you notice a problem, and we’ll do everything we can to see you in the next hour or two. If it’s after hours or on the weekend, you can still reach our emergency line and leave a message. Someone will be in contact with you to assist you in your needs.
Looking for an emergency dentist in Mesa? Call Dr. Huynh today to request a same-day appointment!
