Whether it’s Murphy’s Law or just bad luck, dental emergencies seem to happen at the most inconvenient times. You’re at your son’s baseball game on a Saturday afternoon when he takes a ball to the mouth and breaks a tooth. You wake up at 4:00 in the morning with throbbing tooth pain and can’t imagine getting through the work day ahead. No matter what the situation, you can call Cherry Creek Family Dentistry at 303-321-1323 any time of the day or night. If we’re unavailable, someone from our answering service will direct you on how to get immediate care.
Typical Dental Emergencies
We encounter many different situations at our dental clinic in Littleton, Colorado. However, these are the most common reasons we see patients on an emergency basis:
- Fractured or cracked teeth: This can happen from something as simple as biting your food too hard or even from a car accident. Unfortunately, this situation is more than a cosmetic concern. You can experience extreme pain if the enamel of your tooth cracks as well. The crack will only widen and become more painful if you delay treatment. Some people don’t realize they have fractured or cracked a tooth until they experience pain when eating or drinking something very hot or cold. If this happens to you, schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible.
- Tooth infection: This can quickly become an urgent situation due to the significant pain involved. You may need a prompt root canal if the pulp in a tooth and the gums that support the tooth become inflamed. Your dentist will prevent the infection from spreading by cleaning the inside of your tooth and removing the infected pulp. He or she will then place a dental cap on the tooth to help stabilize it. You could also have an abscessed tooth or another type of infection. Pain is always an indicator that you need prompt attention from a dentist.
- Partially or completely knocked out tooth: This situation always requires immediate care. If you’re able to retrieve any part of your tooth, your dentist may be able to save it. We recommend picking up the broken pieces of your tooth by its crown and quickly run them under warm water. The top portion of a tooth is its crown. You can then place the tooth fragments in a small, sealed glass of milk. Milk makes a good temporary preservative for a dislodged tooth because it contains many of the same chemical properties as teeth do.
The above are just three common examples of dental emergencies. Please contact us any time you’re concerned that you need to see a dentist right away. We’re happy to assist you, regardless of the day or hour.