It’s the middle of the night and you get out of bed to go the bathroom, trip over the family dog, and knock out a tooth! This is certainly reason to call the dentist after hours.
There are less dramatic indicators that you need urgent dental care. In today’s blog, the Docklands Dental Studio team provides emergency tips and recommendations for when to seek urgent help.
Lost Tooth
A knocked-out or dislodged tooth is an emergent issue. Any time a tooth is traumatically removed from the socket, collect the tooth and its particles and place them in a container with milk or saliva for preservation. Try to handle the tooth as little as possible. The tooth may be re-set in the socket, and healing could naturally occur. If this is not a possible solution, our dentist will provide you alternative options. Call our Docklands office for further directions.
Toothache
A toothache that is eased with acetaminophen or ibuprofen can wait for an appointment. Over-the-counter numbing gels from the drug store/pharmacy are also available for pain relief. You can rinse your mouth and floss to remove anything lodged between teeth that maybe causing pain. When a toothache causes significant pain where -you cannot sleep, go to work, and your life has greatly affected- it is emergent.
Broken/Chipped Tooth
Our teeth are very durable, but they can break/crack/chip if conditions are intense, a hard blow to the face is received, or we bite down hard on a metal utensil. Broken teeth do not always cause pain, but they look funny. Many times, a chip or crack can be deep and cause sensitivity or serious pain. The dentin beneath the enamel, or the nerve in the tooth’s canal can be affected. If pain is your concern, see toothache guidelines above.
Lost/Broken Crown
Dental crowns are placed in two stages: temporary crown then a permanent crown. Temporary crowns are not as strong as the permanent crown, so they are prone to breaking or moving out of place. If the temporary crown is damaged, breaks, or moves out of place, do not worry – this is a common occurrence and not an emergency, unless you are in severe pain. You can reposition the crown and use dental cement or toothpaste to keep in place temporarily. Call our dentists who can recement or recreate the temporary crown until the permanent crown is ready.
Lost Filling
Lost dental fillings are generally not emergent. If the tooth is sensitive or in pain (see toothache), you can use dental cement to fill the opening and reduce the sensitivity.
Gum Damage/Facial Swelling/ Broken Jaw
Soft tissue damage that could require stitches, or a possible broken jawbone, should be directed to the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne (RDHM) and where care is available to all eligible Victorians at community dental clinics for urgent care. Minor soft tissue injuries can be treated with a salt water rinse, and/or placing a wet tea bag over the affected area while applying pressure. If any teeth are injured in an accident, call our dental office, and we will set an appointment to begin the next step in treatment.
Broken/Loose Implants
Implant success rates are 98%. Implant emergencies are most often related to underlying infection or loss of bone over time. Please call Docklands Dental Studio to set up an appointment to fix your broken or lost implant, restoration, or prosthetic.
Broken Dental Appliances/Dentures
Dentures or appliances that break are not emergent, and you can wait until the next business day to call our offices. Keep all pieces of the broken appliance in a safe container. Bring all broken pieces with you to your scheduled appointment.
There are dental emergencies that do not fit into a defined category, such as a broken tooth; you may be experiencing extreme tooth pain from conditions, such as an abscess. If you feel you need emergency dentistry, call our office, even after hours. Our dentists have openings for emergent cases and our after hours emergency line will give instructions on how to contact the dentist on call.
Call Our Office Today
In case of after hours dental emergency, please contact Royal Dental Hospital’s Emergency Department by clicking here.
To discuss non emergent appointments with our doctors, call the dentist now at our Docklands dental office at (03) 9021-9487 and schedule a consultation.