Emergency Dentistry – Beachwood, OH

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Toothaches can have many causes, and some of them are more severe than others. Your toothache may be a dental emergency if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Severe pain that lasts for more than twenty-four hours
• Biting down causes a sharp pain
• Your teeth are so sensitive that temperature shifts cause discomfort that lasts for more than thirty seconds
• You find a small bump on the gums near a pained tooth
• Your aching tooth is darker than your other teeth
• You experience swelling, fever, fatigue, or a foul taste, all of which are signs of a serious infection

How You Should Handle a Toothache: If using dental floss to clear away the debris from between your teeth doesn’t relieve your pain, take an over-the-counter pain reliever. You can also use a saltwater rinse to clean the tooth and ease inflammation. A cold compress may also help reduce swelling and discomfort.

How We Treat Toothaches: After we evaluate the troubled tooth, we will determine the cause of the toothache and treat it accordingly. Toothaches can be caused by injuries, untreated cavities, or advanced oral infections such as gum disease, and we may treat yours with a filling, a dental crown, a root canal, a nightguard in cases of bruxism, or extraction in extreme cases.

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? While a chipped tooth can usually wait for a few days before being treated, it will still need to be addressed soon. An untreated chip in your tooth can leave it more vulnerable to further damage and infection.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth: If you can find any shards of your tooth, store them in a sanitary container so you can bring them with you to your appointment. You should also rinse your mouth with water to help wash away bacteria and any remaining tooth fragments. It’s also important to avoid using the tooth when chewing anything. If you need to protect your soft tissues from any sharp edges, use dental wax or sugar-free gum to cover the chip.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth: We usually treat a chipped tooth by using tooth-colored composite resin to fill in the damaged area and restore its appearance and strength. If you’re concerned about a chip on one of your more prominent teeth, you may want to consider restoring it with a porcelain veneer.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Even the smallest crack in a tooth’s enamel leaves it at greater risk of infection and further injury, so it’s important for you to bring it to our attention right away. It’s not always obvious that you have a cracked tooth, so pay attention to any sensitivity in your teeth after sustaining a blow to the mouth or face.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth: Refrain from chewing on the injured tooth and take an over-the-counter pain reliever if necessary. You can also use a cold compress to numb the discomfort or rinse your mouth with salt water to clear away bacteria. If your tooth is especially sensitive, you can cover it with dental wax or sugar-free gum.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth: Cracked teeth are usually treated with a customized dental crown, but we may be able to fix minor cracks with composite resin, which is the same tooth-colored material used in dental fillings. However, if your tooth is cracked beyond repair, it may need extraction and replacement.

Very Sensitive Teeth  

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? It depends largely on the severity of your symptoms and how long you’ve been experiencing them. For example, if your sensitivity seems to be worsening with each passing day or has been persistent for several weeks now, you should contact us right away.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth First, try switching to a desensitizing toothpaste. If that doesn’t work, then do what you can to alleviate your discomfort in the short term, including steering clear of cold foods and taking OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth There are a few options, but it ultimately depends on what we find during the exam. For instance, if we determine that a cavity is the root of the problem, then it’s likely that a tooth-colored filling or dental crown is needed.

Knocked-Out Tooth  

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? A knocked-out tooth is absolutely a dental emergency, so don’t wait to contact our Beachwood dental team to schedule an appointment (ideally within the hour). That way, we have the highest chance of saving your tooth!

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth We mentioned an important step above: contacting us to schedule an emergency appointment. Outside of that, do what you can to protect your tooth, like putting it back in its socket or placing it in a clean container filled with milk to preserve the tooth.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth First and foremost, we will see if saving your tooth is possible. If it isn’t, don’t worry – we can restore the look, health, and function of your smile with a dental bridge or implant as well.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Lost Filling or Crown  

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Definitely. After all, even if you aren’t in pain or the restoration was relatively small, the tooth is now vulnerable to breaking or developing an infection. So, don’t wait – contact us ASAP to share what happened and schedule an appointment.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown In addition to contacting us to schedule an appointment, do what you can to protect both your tooth and your restoration. That includes rinsing periodically with clean, room-temperature water and not chewing on that side of your mouth.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns There are a few options. In some cases, we can re-cement the restoration back in place. Other times, we need to replace it completely to restore the look, health, and function of your smile.

Broken Denture

Loose Permanent Tooth

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Jaw Pain

Something Stuck Between the Teeth