Dental emergencies
Gentle Care Dental Center is the home of some of the best dental practitioners in Seal Beach. In the case of a dental emergency, please give our office a call.
Dental emergencies can be quite frightening and very painful. Prompt examination is necessary to evaluate the teeth to determine what treatment is needed while alleviating pain and ensuring the best possible chance of survival. Fractures to teeth can be caused by trauma, grinding or biting/chewing on hard objects. Filling and crowns may come out and cause pain. It is essential to contact our office as pain caused by dental emergencies will get worse without treatment, leading to tooth loss and jeopardizing physical and oral health.
Types of dental emergency and how to deal with them
Avulsed
If a tooth has been knocked out, it is imperative that you see a dentist immediately, as tissues, nerves and blood vessels become damaged. There is a chance if the tooth is placed back into the socket within an hour that the tissues may grow to support the tooth once again. In cases where the tooth reattaches, if the pulp of the tooth is damaged, a root canal might be needed.
Here are some steps to take:
- Call our office.
- Pick up the tooth by the crown and rinse it under warm water. DO NOT touch the root.
- If possible, place it back into its socket if not tuck it into the cheek pouch.
- If the tooth cannot be placed in the mouth, put the tooth into a cup of milk, saliva, or water as a last resort. It is important to keep the tooth from drying out.
- Get to our office, quickly and safely.
We will try to replace the tooth in its natural socket. In some cases, the tooth will reattach, but if the inner mechanisms of the teeth are seriously damaged, root canal therapy might be necessary.
Lost Filling/Crown
Once a crown or filling comes loose, the affected tooth may be incredibly sensitive to temperature and pressure. Crowns/filling become loose or fall out because the tooth has underlying decay. Because the decay causes changes to the tooth structure the crown may no longer fit. If a crown comes out, make a dental appointment as soon as possible. Keep the crown as there is a possibility we will be able to recement it. If the crown is not replaced it will cause further damage to the tooth and may lead to root canal treatment, retreatment or extraction.
Cracked or broken teeth
While a cracked tooth may be fairly painless, it still needs to have immediate attention. If the crack is not treated and then extends down to the root, the pain will be extreme. There is the possibility the tooth may be saved with a root canal and crown. Untreated, the crack may turn into a fractured tooth which will need to be extracted.
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