If there’s one constant in this uncertain world of ours, it’s that accidents can, and do, happen. If you or a loved one is faced with a dental emergency, the steps you take before you come to see us are important.

Here at Healthy Dental Expressions, our team of dental experts, led by Dr. Henry Suarez, understands the importance of prompt action when a dental emergency occurs, which is why we offer emergency dentistry services. While we can certainly do our part to get you back on the road to great dental health, it’s important that you do yours.

With that in mind, here’s a look at four of the more common dental emergencies and the steps you should take.

A knocked-out tooth

While your teeth are designed to last a lifetime, an accident can occur in which your tooth is knocked out or severely cracked. Should this happen, there’s a possibility that we can still save the tooth if you take the following steps:

• Rinse the tooth with water only (be sure to hold the tooth by the crown)
• Place the tooth back in the socket
• Hold the tooth in place by biting down on some gauze or a wet paper towel
• Call us immediately

If your tooth doesn’t fit back into the socket readily, try to place it between your cheek and gums or preserve it in a glass with saliva or milk.

If you take these steps, with any luck, we can reintegrate your tooth into your jawbone. 

Note that if you severely crack your tooth, you should hold the tooth in place as best you can and call us immediately.

Tooth pain

A toothache has a way of hijacking your life, as the pain can be quite severe. If you have a toothache, rinse your mouth with lukewarm saltwater and try some over-the-counter painkillers, such as Tylenol®, to address the discomfort. Please do not place any painkillers directly against the tooth.

When you’re able, call us at your earliest convenience so we can identify and treat the source of the pain.

Trauma to your mouth

If you or a loved one has been hit in the mouth and there’s bleeding or swelling, carefully rinse with lukewarm salt water. If you can see the source of the bleeding, try to compress the area with gauze or a tea bag for 10-20 minutes. 

Should the bleeding subside, we recommend that you come see us so that we can assess the damage and potentially place you on antibiotics to reduce your risk for developing an infection.

If your mouth is bleeding profusely, please seek emergency care right away.

Broken dental devices

If you have prosthetics, fillings, braces, or any other oral device that’s affixed to your teeth, these appliances can break. Should you break a denture, lose a filling, or crack a crown, please protect the area as best you can and call us. We can quickly fix or replace these devices and prosthetics to get them back to working properly again.

While these four emergencies represent the most common reasons why people come to see us, any time you have a dental emergency, please contact our office in Lake Worth, Florida.

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