Act immediately on an oral injury or sudden dental pain. Your dentist in Virginia Beach, Dr. Sarah Esparza, urges immediate care. Proper action can spare your oral health.
What is a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency is an oral health problem that requires attention right away because it is very painful, compromises oral or overall health or leaves the patient with poor smile aesthetics. The following situations are examples of dental emergencies:
- Dental abscess
- Throbbing toothache or jaw pain
- Loss of a filling, crown or other restoration
- Breaking or chipping a denture
- Loss of a dental crown
- One or more teeth knocked out, or avulsed, in a fall, during sports or through other accident
- Jaw fracture or dislocation
- Laceration of the tongue, cheek, or other oral tissues
Your emergency dentist in Virginia Beach asks you to contact Esparza Family Dentistry right away for advice on the immediate care of an oral injury and to arrange a same-day appointment as needed. For life-threatening injuries, please get to the closest hospital emergency room right away.
What You Can Do
Knocked out tooth When a tooth is knocked out, rinse it with warm water, but don’t remove any clinging soft tissue. Place the tooth back into the empty socket, and hold it while traveling to Dr. Esparza’s office. A knocked out tooth may be re-implanted if the doctor works on it within an hour of injury. If you cannot replace it, put the tooth in milk or water in a sealed container or plastic bag and bring it to the office. Additionally, you could put the tooth between the cheek and gums. If your tooth is fractured, bring the fragments to Dr. Esparza.
Soft tissue laceration Place direct pressure on the site using sterile gauze pads or a clean cloth. If bleeding does not resolve within 10 to 15 minutes, transport to the hospital emergency room.
A toothache or abscess Over the counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen temporarily alleviates pain. A warm compress to the jaw soothes discomfort. Contact the doctor when you experience extreme tenderness, swelling, drainage and feeling of malaise.
Prevention is Best
Prevent injury by wearing a customized mouthguard when playing sports–even non-contact sports such as running. Don’t bite into hard foods such as ice, taffy and peanut brittle which fracture teeth and dislodge existing restorations. Use scissors to open plastic packaging. Do not bite your fingernails or other non-food items.
See Dr. Esparza every six months for an oral exam and hygienic cleaning as these preventive dental services keep teeth and gums healthy and protect against dental emergencies. Many times, the dentist can see a problem, such as a hairline crack, as it is develops.
Act Quickly
Don’t ever hesitate to contact Esparza Family Dentistry for precise and compassionate emergency advice. Your oral health and overall well-being depend on quick action with a sudden problem.