Dental Emergencies in Shelton

Dental emergencies often happen with no warning. It’s important to know how to handle them when serious oral health symptoms occur. Whether you’ve accidentally knocked out a tooth or woken up with severe dental pain, seeking immediate care is the best way to begin improving your condition. At Huntington Family Dental Group, we are trained and equipped to provide emergency dentistry services, which is why we want to make sure you know what constitutes a dental emergency along with when to call 911 and what our team can do to help you feel better faster.

What Is Considered a Dental Emergency?

A dental emergency isn’t always life threatening, but you could experience considerable pain and swelling that makes it hard to eat, sleep, and enjoy your favorite activities. In some cases, a dental emergency is emotional distressing. Losing a front tooth or crown could cause you serious stress until your dentist fixes the problem.

Keep in mind, however, that some dental issues aren’t an emergency. A minor chipped or loose tooth is not usually considered an emergency. Meanwhile, a knocked out tooth, severe fracture, or severe pain coming from your tooth or gums are all signs that you need to call your emergency dentist.

When Should You Call 911?

Dental injuries can sometimes lead to a need to visit an emergency room for immediate care. While the majority of dental injuries don’t involve life threatening symptoms, you will want to call 911 if you or someone else experiences difficulty with breathing or swallowing. Uncontrollable bleeding could also be a reason to call 911, but keep in mind that some oral lacerations look worse than they actually are due to the blood mixing with saliva. Dental injuries that are associated with trauma to the jaw or head may also warrant calling the emergency responders in your area.

How to Handle a Dental Emergency in Shelton

Knowing what to do during a dental emergency can reduce your symptoms and potentially save your tooth. For a knocked out tooth, rinse it off with water and try to hold it in the socket until you can see your dentist. If that’s not possible to do, then placing it in a container that is filled with milk or the injured person’s saliva can help preserve it.

You can address broken and chipped teeth by rinsing your mouth with warm water and applying a cold compress to the outside of your cheek to help lower swelling. This same technique works well for soft tissue lacerations. Once you’ve cleaned your mouth, then use sterile gauze and pressure to help reduce any bleeding.

If you have a severe toothache, then try gently brushing and flossing to remove any food debris that could be trapped between your teeth or at the gum line and causing pain. Since toothaches are often caused by deep decay, you may need an emergency filling or root canal to find complete relief from your discomfort.

Seek a Same-Day Appointment

Time is of the essence when it comes to ending pain and minimizing the long-term damage that can arise from dental emergencies. That’s why we provide our patients with same-day appointments for emergency dental care at Huntington Family Dental Group in Shelton. Experiencing a knocked-out tooth, severe dental pain, or signs of a developing abscess are all signs that you need a same-day appointment. If you have severe dental pain or an injury, then don’t wait another minute to contact our office. We’ll do our best to get you in to our office for a same-day appointment that gives you some relief.

Experiencing a dental emergency in Shelton can be frightening, but being aware of all that we can do to help eliminate your pain and suffering can help you feel calmer. As a family dentist, we are available to help with dental emergencies. In many cases, we can even help to preserve your tooth. While we encourage you to remember that not all dental issues require emergency treatment, calling for a same-day appointment for serious oral health problems can prevent them from getting worse. Don’t delay seeking help! Our family dentist at Huntington Family Dental Group is ready to help as soon as we get your call.

At our office, we care about helping to preserve your smile and restore your comfort. Research shows that early intervention is one of the best ways to ensure a good outcome for dental injuries and infections. This is especially true in cases of knocked out teeth and tooth fractures that are vulnerable to infections without proper treatment. Reach out to our team to schedule an appointment with our family dentist in Shelton to receive prompt and caring emergency dental care.