Emergency Dentistry

What to Do in
a Dental Emergency

In any dental emergency, call your dentist and make an appointment before you do anything else. When the offices are closed, you may get an answering service, but Dr. Beelman is still on call and available to help. At the same time, clean and treat your wound as much as you can until you can get in to the dentist to preserve the tooth and surrounding tissues.

Ways to Prevent
a Dental Emergency

• Wear a mouthguard when participating in sports or recreational activities with the potential for injury.
• Avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels, and hard candy, all of which can crack a tooth.
• Use scissors – NEVER your teeth – to cut things.

Instructions for Specific Dental Emergency Situations

• Toothache: Call your dentist as soon as you feel pain. Use painkillers, cold compress, and rinse with warm salt water as needed. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between the teeth. Do not put aspirin on the aching tooth or gum tissues.
• Broken/Chipped/Cracked Tooth or Teeth: Rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to your face until you see the dentist. Keep missing tooth and tooth pieces in a wet towel and bring it to the dentist.
• Tooth Knocked Out: If your tooth gets knocked or is very loose, keep it moist and hold it in its original place (if you can) until you see the dentist. If you can’t do that, place it between your cheek and gums or in milk, and get to the dentist as soon as possible.
• Bitten Lip or Tongue: Rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress. If you have persistent bleeding or discoloration, call your dentist immediately. Do not put aspirin on the tooth or gum tissues – it makes the pain worse.
• Object Stuck in the Mouth: Try to gently remove with floss, but do not try to remove it with sharp or pointed instruments.