What To Do In A Dental Emergency

What To Do In A Dental Emergency

Dental emergencies refer to those situations where you might need to see a dentist sooner rather than later. Many practices offer such services and allow patients to come in even outside the working hours, to help address their urgent dental needs right away.

Some common dental emergencies can include:

  • Knocked-out teeth
  • Dental trauma such as fractures or severe cracks
  • Severe pain and swelling
  • Bleeding
  • Fever, etc,

If you think you have a dental emergency, follow these five steps:


1. Stay Calm

This can be easier said than done, but it’s very important to remain calm even if you are experiencing a dental emergency. Take a second to control your breathing and assess the situation. Pay attention closely to your symptoms such as:

  • Bleeding
  • Trouble breathing
  • Experiencing pain
  • Localizing the pain
  • Finding the knocked-out tooth, etc.


2. Call a Dentist

After you’ve assessed the situation, get in touch with a dentist right away and explain to them what your dental emergency is. Based on this, your dentist can provide you with additional tips on how to proceed until you come in for an appointment, such as:

  • How to control/manage bleeding
  • Storing the knocked-out tooth in milk to preserve it
  • Pain-relief methods, etc.


3. Follow Their Instructions

It’s important to follow the dentist’s instructions to the letter. If you’re feeling too nervous or agitated, have someone who is calmer talk to the dentist, or write down their instructions to remember them correctly.

These tips will help you get through your dental emergency more easily!


4. Go to Your Appointment

Even if the dentist’s tips worked and you are feeling better, you should still see them for an appointment. They will consult your oral health and assess the true extent of the damage, and make the best treatment recommendation to prevent any permanent issues with your dental health.

Some issues can be more time-sensitive than others. A knocked out tooth should be reimplanted as soon as possible, so the dentist might see you right away. However, others could be delayed until the next day, depending on the severity of your symptoms.


5. Don’t Skip the Follow-up

Your dental emergency might not be completely resolved in just one appointment. If you have to go back for a follow-up or more treatments, it’s best not to skip them. Even if you feel perfectly fine, and you assess your troubles as over, the dentist is really the only one who can determine if the dental emergency is over or not. 


Corona Smile Shoppe Is Here for You

If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, call our office right away at (951) 444-7010 so that we can help. Corona Smile Shoppe’s dental services will help your smile be happy and healthy, no matter what treatments are necessary!

For a regular appointment, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Juan Martinez.

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