Emergency Dentist – Melbourne, FL

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency?

This depends on the cause of the toothache. There are many different reasons why you could be feeling pain. Some issues are easy to resolve while others are signs of more serious issues. If you have a toothache, you should call us to explain what’s going on. This way, we can examine your smile and determine which steps to take next.

How You Should Handle a Toothache:

If your tooth is hurting, start by rinsing your mouth with saltwater. This will help to clean the area and reduce any inflammation. Using a cold compress on your cheek can also help to numb the area. Until you are able to visit our practice, over-the-counter pain relievers can be used to manage your discomfort.

How We Treat Toothaches:

The treatment we use to treat your tooth will depend on the cause of the pain. Sometimes, a dental filling or crown is enough to resolve the problem while other toothaches may require root canal treatment or an extraction. Once we thoroughly examine your smile, we can discuss your treatment options.

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency?

In most cases, chipped teeth aren’t urgent emergencies. However, you should still plan to have them repaired at your earliest convenience. While your tooth probably isn’t at immediate risk, putting it off too long leaves it vulnerable to additional damage now that the structure has been compromised.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth:

If you can, find any larger pieces of your tooth to bring with you to the dental office. Then, carefully risk your mouth with water to wash away any dirt or debris. If your tooth is pointed or jagged, dental wax can be used to cover the area and protect your soft tissues. Do your best to avoid chewing on that side of your mouth until you’ve had the chip repaired.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth:

For small chips, dental bonding can usually do the trick. However, if you have a large chip or a chip on one of your front teeth, you might want to consider a longer-lasting cosmetic solution, like a veneer.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency?

Cracked teeth are vulnerable to bacteria, so they are at risk of becoming infected. This should be seen by a dental professional as soon as you can. It can be difficult to see cracks in the teeth, but common signs include pain and new or worsening tooth sensitivity.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth:

You should start by rinsing your mouth with salt water to clean the area. Then, give us a call to explain what happened. We will schedule you for an urgent dental visit where we will examine the tooth and determine the next steps to take.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth:

Small cracks can sometimes be easily repaired with cosmetic bonding. However, if a crack is deep or large, it may require root canal treatment, a dental crown, or an extraction. During your visit, we will see how deep the crack is and discuss your options.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Since dental sensitivity is sometimes the result of an untreated oral health problem, like gum disease, it’s important not to ignore it. In fact, if it persists for more than 24 hours or it’s just one of the many abnormal dental symptoms you’re experiencing, then you should call us ASAP to schedule an emergency exam.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth First, try switching your oral hygiene products (sometimes, just using a desensitizing toothpaste helps!). If that doesn’t work, then schedule an appointment with us and do what you can to alleviate your discomfort in the meantime, like avoiding really hot or cold foods.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth Tooth-colored fillings, dental crowns, root canal treatment, and gum disease treatment have all been used to address dental sensitivity. Naturally, which one we recommend for you will depend entirely on what we find during the emergency exam.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, and it’s a dental emergency that requires you to act fast since there’s only a short window of time where we can save your tooth. So, call our Melbourne dental team ASAP – we’ll do our best to schedule an emergency exam within the hour!

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth Calling us is important. So is doing what you can to preserve the root of your tooth. The first option you have is putting the tooth back in the socket. If it doesn’t slide back into place easily, then do the second option: place it in a clean container filled with milk.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth First, we will see if we can save your tooth. If we can’t, then we will move onto the next best thing: replacing it with a custom-made dental bridge or implant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Yes, both of these situations warrant an immediate visit to our Melbourne dental office. So, don’t hesitate to give us a call – we will take it from there!

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown Outside of calling us, there are a few things we recommend, including not chewing on that side of your mouth, sticking to soft foods, and periodically rinsing your mouth with clean, room-temperature water.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns The answer is simple: we replace your lost filling or crown with a new one. Since we offer same-day dental crowns, the process of restoring the look, health, and function of your smile will be quicker than ever before too!

Broken Denture

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? It might not seem like it, especially if the damage is relatively minor. However, even if that’s the case, the damage can get worse with time. That’s why we recommend calling us even if there is a hairline crack; we want to repair it while that’s still an option!

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture The first step is calling us. In addition to scheduling an appointment for you, we will explain what to do, including storing your restoration properly and sticking to soft foods, like yogurt.

How We Treat Broken Dentures Minor damage can often be fixed at our office. If the damage is extensive, however, then we will need to have a new one made. Oftentimes, patients use this as an opportunity to upgrade to implant dentures!

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency?

Absolutely! The longer you go without treatment, the higher the chances are that the tooth will fall out completely. In fact, there may even come a point where we can’t save it, so don’t wait – get to our office ASAP.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth

Don’t touch the tooth with your tongue, wiggle it with your finger, or eat anything crunchy. Instead, do what you can to prevent the situation from getting worse, like gently rinsing your mouth with clean, lukewarm water, not chewing on that side of your mouth, and scheduling an emergency appointment with us.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth

The good news is that a loose permanent tooth can sometimes be saved with the help of a dental splint. If that’s not possible, then we will only have one choice: to remove the tooth. The good news is that we can replace it with the next best thing: a dental implant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency?

Soft tissue injuries are usually mild enough that they can be handled at home and, therefore, don’t require a visit to our office for treatment. There is an exception: if the cut bleeds for more than 10 minutes, you need to go to the ER or call 911.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Small soft tissue cuts can be handled in three steps: rinse with clean, cool water, apply pressure with a damp washcloth, and ice the area with a cold compress.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Typically, soft tissue injuries can be handled at home. If you’ve been applying pressure to the cut for 10 minutes now and it’s still bleeding, then seek medical attention.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency?

If your jaw pain hasn’t subsided, it’s getting worse, or it is making it difficult to do everyday things like eat, you need to schedule an appointment with our Melbourne emergency dentist. If you have any reason to believe that your discomfort is stemming from a fracture or break, then call 911 or head to the ER instead.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain

To ease inflammation, soreness, and discomfort, use a cold compress in 10-minute intervals. Avoiding crunchy foods and taking OTC pain medication will also help, but you need to get to our office for the necessary restorative care for long-term relief.

How We Treat Jaw Pain

Taking X-rays and conducting an oral exam allows us to pinpoint the root of the problem and, most importantly, the best way to address it. For example, if your jaw pain is stemming from TMJ dysfunction, then we will need to begin the process of having an oral appliance made.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TMJ TREATMENT

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Having something lodged between your teeth isn’t just uncomfortable; it also increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease developing. That’s why it’s important to remove it ASAP! Try rinsing with warm saltwater and flossing instead of reaching for tweezers or a toothpick. If nothing seems to be working, give us a call to schedule an appointment.