Life would be much easier if all of your dental needs could just be scheduled to be taken care of at our family dentistry in Waterloo at a time that’s most convenient for you. Unfortunately, dental emergencies do happen on occasion. The following are some of the more common dental emergencies you may encounter and what you should do:
You’ve lost a tooth
A dislodged tooth can occur in any number of situations. Maybe you’re playing a sport and the tooth was knocked out by accidental physical contact. Maybe you simply ran into an opening door at the office. Whatever the reason was, you should take the tooth and either put it in a cup of water with salt or a cup of milk before contacting your Waterloo dentist to schedule an emergency dentist appointment as soon after the incident as possible.
You have a cracked tooth
If you damage a tooth but don’t knock it out, don’t assume that a dental appointment can wait. Bacteria could end up collecting in the areas where the tooth is cracked, which could cause an infection that may end up requiring a root canal if you don’t have it looked at right away. You may also risk cracking a tooth further which at times can make it not saveable.
You have a toothache
If you are experiencing a toothache, contact our family dentistry in Waterloo to schedule an emergency appointment. You can take an over-the-counter oral numbing agent, take a pain medication, or place a cold compress against your mouth to help reduce some of the pain before your appointment.
You have a soft tissue injury
If you accidentally bite through your tongue, cheeks or lips, then use gauze to help with the bleeding and use a cold compress outside of your mouth to help reduce inflammation and pain. If your injury continues to bleed after ten minutes, you’ll want to schedule an emergency dental appointment with us or go directly to the nearest urgent care facility or hospital ER.
You’ve lost a filling or crown
You should contact our family dentistry in Waterloo as soon as you can to schedule a time to have your restoration repaired or updated. Before your scheduled appointment, you can use over-the-counter oral numbing agents to help numb sensitive spots in your mouth as well as to protect any exposed teeth.
These are a few common dental emergencies that you may experience and what you should do. If you have a dental emergency, be sure to contact us at Waterloo Smiles Dentistry today.