Minimize pain until you can see a dentist with emergency dental care tips from a dentist in Charleston, SC
Dental emergencies happen for a variety of reasons, such as trauma to your mouth, biting down on something that is too hard, or existing issues such as decay, infection, or grinding that have rapidly progressed into a painful problem. When a dental emergency strikes, call Dr. Andrew Greenberg, a highly qualified dentist in Charleston, SC who provides emergency dental care quickly and effectively. Until your appointment time, you can follow these dental care tips to minimize your pain and discomfort and possibly prevent the issue from getting worse.
What are some common dental emergencies?
In some cases, getting dental care quickly is important for preventing the issue from progressing any further or permanently losing a tooth. The following types of dental situations may require immediate dental help.
- Your tooth has been accidentally knocked out, chipped, cracked, or broken due to a traumatic injury or biting down on something that was too hard
- You are experiencing abnormal amounts of bleeding after a dental procedure or it is not healing correctly
- You have a severe toothache that is not going away and that pain relievers are not helping
- A dental restoration in your mouth, such as a bridge or crown, becomes loose
- You have severe pain from a canker sore or an infected area in your mouth called an abscess
The first step in any dental emergency is calling an emergency dentist like Dr. Andrew Greenberg and scheduling a time to go into the office as soon as possible.
Tooth has been knocked out, broken, chipped, or cracked
When a tooth gets knocked out, it can sometimes be saved by the dentist so that you don’t need a false tooth put in its place. To maximize the chances of being able to save the tooth, if your tooth gets knocked out, you should soak the tooth in a glass of milk and bring it to your emergency dental appointment.
If you don’t completely knock out your tooth but it becomes broken, cracked, or chipped, the emergency dentist can assess the damage and the best course of treatment. If it only has a small chip, the dentist may be able to just smooth it out, but for larger chips, breaks, or cracks, the tooth will likely have sustained a more extensive injury that needs to be assessed and repaired.
At home before your emergency appointment, you should clean out your mouth with warm salt water to help reduce bleeding and prevent an infection from forming. If needed, apply a cold compress to your face if the dental issue was caused by an injury. You can take over-the-counter pain relievers, but do not apply a topical painkiller such as Orajel to the area because it can burn your traumatized gum tissues.
Dental restoration has become loose or is not healing properly
Since dental restorations are in place to repair or replace damaged or missing teeth, it is important to see your dentist quickly if they become loose or show signs that they are not healing properly to prevent further damage to your teeth and tissues. Your tooth may be very sensitive if a restoration comes loose. If it is loose, you can use an over-the-counter denture adhesive to temporarily put it back in place until your emergency dental appointment.
Severe pain from a tooth, canker sore, abscess, or an unknown cause
Severe pain in your teeth or gums can be debilitating. If you are experiencing pain that is coming from a specific tooth or a location on your gums, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol or ibuprofen to reduce the pain until your appointment, but never take more than the recommended dose. It is also important not to take aspirin because it can increase the amount of bleeding you experience. Depending on the cause of the issue, rinsing with warm salt water or putting an ice pack on your face can also help the pain.
You don’t need to suffer and wait for your dental emergency to develop into a crisis. Dr. Andrew Greenberg and his associates at Mouth Carolina Dental in Charleston, SC provide fast, effective, and affordable emergency dental care. Call the office at (843)751 4262 when you have an emergency and the Mouth Carolina Dental team will get you into the office as soon as possible for treatment. Dr. Greenberg can also provide advice over the phone when you call so that you can start relieving the pain as soon as possible and begin home treatment if it is indicated.
Mouth Carolina Dentistry, PA - Dr. Andrew Greenberg
Dr. Andrew Greenberg completed his Bachelor’s Degree in New Orleans, Louisiana at Tulane University. He graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine in 2009, where he portrayed excellent academic performance. He exercises his academic brilliance to the benefit of his patients every day. He grew up in a family with a dental background and showed interest in the field since his early days.
