We pride ourselves on offering prompt emergency dental care. Our team has the training and skills to identify what the problem are, how serious it is, and almost always can reduce or get rid of your dental pain within a few minutes. There are many options for dealing with dental emergencies. So if you, your children or a friend have a dental emergency then call our office at (505) 750 8787 and we will make sure you are seen as Walk-in Patient. We set up our schedule each day as to be able to accommodate any unplanned dental emergency patients.

Some most common dental emergencies that we treat include:

Tooth Pain

• Tooth Broken or Chipped
• Lost Fillings or Crowns & Bridg
• Tooth Abscess (infection)
• Emergency Extractions
• Dislodged teeth
• Emergency Root Canals
• Sever Braces Discomfort

Any injury to teeth or gums should not be ignored. Nerves or blood vessels could be damaged. There is also a risk of getting an infection. If an infection is not treated it can spread to other parts of the head and neck and cause serious health problems. In rare cases it can even become life threatening. So it is very important to always seek emergency dental treatment for a dental injury.

Emergency Dental Care

Tooth Pain

When you experience a Toothache the main culprit is usually some form of tooth decay affecting the mouth or jaw. Essentially, it is the inflammation in your dental pulp, the innermost layer of your teeth, which results in notable pain.

Because this area of the tooth is made up of soft tissue which includes sensitive nerves and blood vessels, the pain can come on suddenly and may vary from mild to severe throbbing. The pain is often worse at night and can be very disruptive to other daily routines such as mealtimes, as eating or drinking can worsen the pain worse, especially with hot or cold sensations.

What are some of the other causes of a Toothache?
Aside from tooth decay, consistent or off and on pain can also be caused by abscessed teeth, tooth fractures or cracks, damaged fillings, heavy grinding of the teeth or infected or receding gums.

Still other conditions that do not affect the dental pulp but still result in some level of pain include ulcers which form along your gums, sore gums when a new tooth his breaking through (such as wisdom or adult teeth), sinus inflammation, and jaw injuries.

Can I treat my toothache at home?
For temporary pain relief you can use a number of at home remedies such as over the counter painkillers, numbing gels, salt water rinses, cold compresses, etc. Another popular method which has been used for centuries is to treat a toothache by soaking a cotton ball in hard liquor and apply it gently to the tooth causing you pain.

When should I see a dentist?
Any pain lasting more than a day or two requires a visit to your dentist. The sooner the better since, left untreated, a mild toothache can worsen to the point of severe infection. When this happens, the pulp inside your tooth can decay to the point of dental abscess.

How will the dentist treat my toothache?
After a full examination of your mouth and immediate surrounding areas, your dentist will ask you a series of questions, conduct an X-ray to identify the problem, then determine the proper course of action.

For example, if he or she determines that your toothache is the result of tooth decay (aka- a cavity), it will be removed and replaced with a filling.

Should you experience a loose or broken filling, your dentist will remove the partial filling, clean the affected area, and put a new filling in its place.

The most serious case is when the bacteria has worked its way into the innermost portions of the tooth and infection has spread to the pulp or nerve, at which point a root canal treatment may be required. One your dentist removes the infected pulp, he or she will fill the space with a paste and seal the area by covering the tooth with a crown.

With proper hygiene and regular, bi-annual visits to the dentist, you can help prevent serious oral surgeries and infections that cause toothaches.

 

Tooth Broken or Chipped

Even though your tooth enamel is some of the hardest material in your body, it’s not immune to breaking or chipping under certain circumstances, especially if a tooth is already experiencing some decay. The good news is that there are several ways to mend a chipped or broke tooth if you see your dentist soon after an incident occurs.

What can I do if my tooth gets Chipped or Broken?

If you fall to the ground or get hit in the mouth, make sure you contact your dentist straight away if you see that a tooth is broken, chipped, or fractured regardless of whether you’re experiencing pain. Doing so will help you prevent the tooth from becoming infected, or worse, needing to have it extracted entirely.

While you are waiting to get in to see your dentist, you can take the following self-care measures:

• Alternate acetaminophen and other over-the-counter pain relievers such as Motrin or ibuprofen every two hours and continually rinse your mouth with warm salt water.
• Prevent sharp or jagged edges from cutting the insides of your mouth by covering them with a piece of wax paraffin or sugarless chewing gum.
• Eat only soft foods and avoid biting down on the broken tooth entirely to prevent further damage.

How will my dentist repair a chipped or broken tooth?

The treatment for a chipped or broken tooth is largely dependent on the extent of the damage. For example, if only a small piece or corner of the enamel has been fractured, it can generally be repaired with a filling or bond which is usually completed after only one office visit. However, teeth that have sustained severe damage may require more lengthy and costly procedures such as a cap or crown.

How can Dental Filling or Bonding be used to repair a chipped or broken tooth?

Depending on where in your mouth the affected tooth lies, your dentist will likely recommend a filling or bonding to repair a small loss of tooth enamel.

To bond the fracture or chip, the dental team applies an adhesive material to the tooth, followed by the bonding material. He or she will then fix the bonding to resemble the tooth’s natural shape and color, and make it permanent by hardening with ultraviolet light.

How can a Dental Cap or Crown be used to repair a chipped or broken tooth?

Should a larger piece of tooth break off, either from being weakened by decay or due to heavy trauma, you may be required to cap the tooth altogether with a dental crown. To fit the new cap or crown into your mouth, the dentist will need to grind or file down the remaining part of the tooth and cover it to protect the nerve. These caps and crowns can be made of metal, porcelain fused to metal, all resin, or all ceramic. Many dental crowns can also be made to look almost identical to the original tooth.

Lost Filling or Crowns & Bridges

According to The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some 90% of U.S. adults will get at least one cavity in their life. Many of these will require fillings to take up the space where the decay once resided. Similar to fillings, but with more surface area, are crowns which are used to cover the tops of damaged teeth. Depending on the age of the filling (or crown), the material it is made from and in extenuating circumstances like trauma to the mouth, these fillings or crowns can fall out. In other instances, these may come loose due to underlying tooth decay which can erode portions of the teeth that keep a filling or crown in place.

What Can I Do If I Lose a Filling or Crown?

While generally not considered an emergency, a lost filling or crown can result in moderate to severe discomfort or pain caused by sensitivity to temperature, pressure or air. If possible, it’s always recommended that you keep loose crowns in a safe place, then schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.

Even if your pain level is manageable, it’s not a good idea to wait before making an appointment. The primary reason is that what’s left of your tooth isn’t going to be as strong or complete as the crown itself. Without the hard, protective material of your crown you risk further eroding your teeth or allowing the surrounding teeth to shift and fill the space so that your crown no longer fits.

What can I do to manage the pain of a lost Filling or Crown?

So we’ve established that seeing your dentist ASAP is the correct course of action. However, there are a few things you can do at home in the interim:

Peruse the spice aisle at your nearest supermarket and invest in clove oil. (Your dentist may also have satchels of clove on hand.) Apply the oil or satchel to the affected area with something small and sterile such as a cotton swab. It will act as an anti-inflammatory and provide temporary pain relief.

To protect the open area from the pain of being overexposed, you may be able to temporarily slip the crown back over the tooth (assuming you were able to save it). Doing so can be a great help for keeping air or hot and cold sensations from causing further pain. However, before you make strides to fit the crown back on the tooth, be sure to thoroughly clean the inside. Then, collect a tooth “cement” from the dental section of your pharmacy and coat the inside of your crown, and apply very gentle pressure. You can also use a denture adhesive or petroleum jelly as a temporary solution– just steer clear of actual glue which can be toxic and damaging.

If you’ve lost or swallowed the crown entirely, dental cement, adhesive or Vaseline can also be applied directly to the tooth’s surface and will help seal and protect from the elements until you are able to get in to see your dentist.

Tooth Abscess

A toothache is serious business. It’s often merely a symptom of a much larger, and potentially costly, issue. For example, left untreated, minor cavities or chips and breaks in your teeth can eventually develop into dental abscesses, a serious bacterial infection generally resulting in severe, throbbing pain and pus at the site of the infection. If the infection spreads it can easily extend into the gums, cheek, throat, beneath your tongue, or even into your jaw and/or facial bones. The infection progressively worsens until the abscess either erupts on its own or is surgically ruptured and drained.

Other causes vary from poor dental hygiene to neglected oral conditions such as gum disease or as the result of direct trauma to the mouth. It’s also not uncommon for an abscess to develop as part of an underlying medical condition such as an autoimmune disorder or a generally weakened immune system usually due to radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

While the only way to diagnose and correct a dental abscess is to see your dentist, we have some tips for what symptoms to look for before they become severe complications and how an abscess is ultimately treated.

What are the main symptoms of an abscessed tooth?

If you have throbbing or shooting pain, especially if it’s severe, chances are good you have, or are on your way to, an abscess. Other symptoms include swelling of the gums or glands, redness of the mouth and/or face, pain while chewing, sensitivity to hot and cold, bad breath, drainage and/or difficulty swallowing.

Are there any serious complications from a dental abscess?

As the infection worsens, it’s not uncommon for a patient to suffer from complications such as nausea, vomiting, fever, chills and diarrhea.

Sometimes, an abscess can progress to dangerous levels, causing breathing difficulties as swelling begins to obstruct airways.

Dental abscess treatment

While waiting for your dental appointment, pain from an abscess may be temporarily alleviated with over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen or Motrin.

However, even if you notice that the pain subsides, the infection associated with a dental abscess will not get better on its own. It must be treated by a dentist to properly drain the pus via root canal. Any subsequent diseased tissue or teeth may also need to be removed or treated before the infected area will fully heal.

Should the abscess ruptures on its own, a warm salt water rinse can keep the infection stable and help encourage the wound to drain, but should always be seen by a professional.

 

Emergency Extractions

When A Tooth Can’t Be Fixed…

It needs to be removed. Your dentist may recommend extracting a tooth if:

• Your tooth is too damaged by a fracture or deep cavity to repair.
• You have a sizable infection that cannot be resolved by a root canal alone.
• You have teeth that are blocking other teeth from coming in. These may be extra teeth or baby teeth that have not fallen out yet.
• You are getting braces and need to get rid of a tooth that is crowding others.

Wisdom teeth, which typically come in during your teens or twenties, may need to be extracted if they are decayed, infected, or causing pain. They may get impacted—stuck underneath other teeth—which also requires extraction.

A surgical extraction may be needed if:

• The tooth has broken off at the gum line.
• The tooth hasn’t come in yet (wisdom teeth, for example)
• The tooth has especially large or curved roots

During a surgical extraction, you may have a local anesthetic along with an IV or general anesthetic.

Both procedures are virtually painless. You might feel pressure or pulling, but no pain.

Tip: Don’t smoke on the day of surgery, as it can increase the chance of dry socket, a painful condition that occurs when a blood clot doesn’t form in the hole, breaks off, or breaks down too early.

Post-Extraction Care

Directly after the extraction, you’ll be asked to keep gauze on the extraction site to help the blood clot. It’s important to protect this clot as the wound heals. Eat soft foods, and don’t smoke, use a straw or spit, as these actions can dislodge the clot.

Most people feel some discomfort after having a tooth extracted. You can take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen to help relieve the pain. Your dentist can recommend the dosage that’s right for you.

You can also use icepacks to decrease any swelling. If your jaw is still stiff after any swelling has subsided, try warm compresses.

In general, swelling and bleeding last only a day or two after the extraction and any pain should go away after a few days. As always, we will keep you as comfortable as possible. Most of our patients feel little to no pain during tooth extractions.

When you have a toothache, broken tooth, or other dental emergency, we’ll fit you in as soon as possible. Just call our clinic or come in, and we’ll get you help as soon as possible.

 

Dislodged Tooth

A dislodged tooth, also known as an extruded or luxated tooth, is generally caused by trauma to the mouth which has resulted in the tooth being pushed up into or out of its socket. To avoid the need for a painful and expensive root canal treatment, it must be treated in as soon as possible.

What can I do if my tooth gets Partially dislodged?

First, contact your dentist immediately and schedule an appointment as soon as possible, preferably that day. Do not touch or remove the tooth from your mouth even if it is partially out of the socket. While you’re waiting for your appointment, you can take over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen and use cold compresses to reduce swelling.

What can I do if my tooth gets Completely dislodged?

First, contact your dentist immediately and schedule an appointment as soon as possible, preferably that day. While you’re waiting for your appointment

What will my Dentist do to fix the dislodged tooth?

First, your dentist will anesthetize and clean the affected area. If the tooth is visibly intact he or she will likely reposition and stabilize your tooth, then perform a series of x-rays to see if the root’s nerves or blood vessels have been fractured or damaged. Your dentist may also recommend additional tests at follow-up appointments as x-rays may not be entirely accurate immediately following a tooth’s injury.

If the dentist determines there is permanent damage to the root, nerve or blood vessels, he or she will likely recommend a root canal treatment to prevent the tooth’s discoloration or abscess, which is a serious infection.

Children whose teeth are still developing, may not require a root canal treatment since their teeth are still developing and many of their permanent teeth are still growing in.

If your dentist feels confident he or she can save the tooth, it will need to be connected to the healthy teeth on either side so that it can heal properly.

Generally there are three main ways to do this:

• Using a composite resin material along a wire and bonding it to the tooth
• Bonding an orthodontic bracket to each of the teeth involved and connecting the braces with a wire
• Fusing a synthetic cloth or metal mesh to the back of the affected tooth/teeth.

What happens once I leave the Dentist’s office?

The tooth will need a minimum of 7 to 10 days to heal and set within the socket.

It is essential that you follow up with your dentist at least 7 to 10 days later. If upon further testing, it appears your tooth’s nerve or blood vessels were indeed damaged, a root canal may be your only option.

 

Emergency Root Canals

Severe Braces Discomfort

Are you one of the 4 million people in the U.S. who are using braces to correct crooked teeth, close gaps or realign an over- or under-bite? One Orthodontic.org study revealed as much as 80% of teenagers will seek orthodontic care; however, there has been a recent resurgence in adults choosing to do the same.

But no matter your age, braces do have a tendency to cause moderate to severe discomfort.

This is especially true during the first several days after getting braces put on for the first time, and upon each tightening (usually every four to six weeks). Generally, the pain is due to the pressure which gets applied and the subsequent movement of your teeth. Although this movement is the ultimate goal, soft tissues around the teeth and gums can easily become inflamed. You may also experience pain or soreness in your jaw and/or small cuts on your inner cheeks and lips from metal brackets and wires.

While taking over-the-counter pain relievers right before you get your braces tightened can help, we also recommend the following when you’re experiencing discomfort as a result of your braces.

For Pain in the gums

It is important to note that severe pain in the gums while undergoing orthodontic treatment is not normal, so you should alert your dentist if you experience pain that lasts more than a few days. However, it is not uncommon for small bits of food to get trapped under a bracket or lodged below the gum line. If you notice this happening, you can use an interdentally toothbrush (Proxabrush) to dislodge it. You can also use a warm salt water rinse to address any damage or soft tissue sensitivity. As a preventative, we also ask that you brush your teeth and gums after each meal, including snacks.

For Tempormandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain

If you’re feeling discomfort in the TMJ (or jaw joint) you’re not alone. You may even notice some irregular pops and clicks as teeth and jaw structures shift. This is no cause for alarm. These symptoms happen naturally as things move into alignment. Be sure to discuss any discomfort during your regularly scheduled tightening, and monitor the situation in case the pain increases.

For Pain on the Inner Cheeks and Lips

It’s not at all uncommon for brackets, rubber band hooks and wires to irritate soft tissues such as cheeks, lips and gums. Fortunately, a small pea-sized piece of dental wax can be smoothed over individual brackets or any sharp wire ends which may be loose or broken to help prevent sores. (For existing sores, you can promote healing by rinsing with warm salt water several times a day.) Even when using dental wax, it is important to continue brushing after food intake. The wax may be applied to your braces as often as is needed and is harmless if swallowed.