Regular dental care helps prevent inconvenient dental emergencies. However, dental emergencies can and do occur. Listed here are some of the more common dental emergencies and what you can do until you can get to our office. A good rule of thumb: if it hurts, do NOT wait to make a reservation. We will be happy to see you as soon as possible.

Thoroughly rinse your mouth with warm water. Use dental floss to remove any lodged food. If your mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth or cheek. Never put aspirin or any other painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth because it may burn the gum tissue. A toothache or a sensitive tooth can be caused by several different types of problems. Over-the-counter pain relief medication can temporarily relieve the pain. Slight pain, if left untreated, can progress into facial or oral swelling and severe pain. A sensitive tooth may be due to exposed root, a leaking or defective filling, decay, a bite-related problem, or a dying nerve. Contact us for a reservation as soon as you notice the problem.

Save any pieces. Rinse the mouth using warm water; rinse any broken pieces. If there's bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip near the broken/chipped tooth to keep any swelling down and relieve pain. Call our office as soon as possible.

Retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown (the part that is usually exposed in the mouth), and rinse off the tooth root with water if it's dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible, try to put the tooth back in place. Make sure it's facing the right way. Never force it into the socket. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, put the tooth in a small container of milk (or cup of water that contains a pinch of table salt, if milk is not available) or a product containing cell growth medium, such as Save-a-Tooth. In all cases, see your dentist as quickly as possible. Knocked out teeth with the highest chances of being saved are those seen by our dentist and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out.

Call our office immediately to set up a reservation. Until you reach our office, to relieve pain, apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever (such as Tylenol or Advil) if needed.

Use dental floss to gently remove the object. Do not use sharp or pointed objects to push or pry the object from between your teeth. If the object does not come out easily, come to us for help.

See us as soon as possible to have the crown recemented. If this is not possible, you can use a denture adhesive (Fixodent, for example) that can be purchased without a prescription. Place a small amount in the crown and reseat it. Do not try to force it into place. It should not be difficult to put into place. When you cannot put the crown in correctly, save it, and bring it with you to your dental reservation. We will do the cementation. The reason the crown came out may make it impossible for our dentist to recement the old crown. That decision will be made during your examination.

Bring the partial or denture to our office for repair. Do not try to glue the plastic yourself. Do not use Crazy Glue® or other similar materials.

If the appliance is loose, go to the orthodontist. If a sharp wire is exposed, cover it with a piece of wax, gum, a small cotton ball - anything to keep the sharp end from poking into the soft tissues.

Swollen gums are a sign of an infection. The infection may be caused by a dying nerve inside the tooth or a periodontal (gum) problem. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water. See us as soon as possible. The swelling may or may not be accompanied by pain. Either way, it needs immediate attention.