Emergency Dentist Athens

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Toothaches do warrant a visit to our office before the end of the week. In some cases, a same-day visit is necessary, like if the pain has persisted for several days, there is a pimple-like bump on your gums, or you’re experiencing severe discomfort when biting down.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Handling a toothache properly really boils down to what not to do. In addition to not chewing on that side of your mouth or eating extremely crunchy, sticky, or sugary foods, don’t put off scheduling an emergency exam with us.

How We Treat Toothaches To determine the answer, we need to determine the root of the problem. That said, tooth-colored fillings, dental crowns, and root canal treatment are three of the most common restorative treatments. We utilize CEREC technology as well, so the entire process of restoring your tooth may only take one appointment!

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Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Remember, a chipped tooth cannot heal on its own. So, even if you aren’t in pain, you should schedule an appointment with us within a day or two of the incident.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth Naturally, you shouldn’t chew on that side of your mouth. You also shouldn’t eat hard pretzels, popcorn, or any other crunchy foods. If the edge of your tooth is sharp, cover it with some sugar-free gum to protect the soft tissue in your mouth too.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Cosmetic dental bonding is a great option for patients with small chips. If the break was more substantial in size or occurred on a molar, then we will need to explore your other treatment options, like a veneer or metal-free restoration.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Since a crack in your enamel can get worse with time, and there’s a chance that an infection will develop, we strongly recommend contacting our Athens emergency dentist ASAP to schedule an exam.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth First, contact us to schedule an appointment. Second, rinse your mouth periodically with clean, room-temperature water to reduce the chances of infection. Third, don’t chew anything on that side of your mouth and, if needed, take OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Fortunately, we can sometimes use a same-day dental crown to restore the strength and appearance of your tooth. If that’s not possible because the tooth cannot be saved, then we will have to remove it. Don’t worry – your mouth will be completely numb for the procedure, and we can fill the gap in your smile with a dental bridge or implant afterward.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? Sudden, severe tooth sensitivity may signal underlying issues like decay, gum recession, or an exposed nerve. While it’s not always an emergency, it’s best to see us sooner rather than later, especially if you’re in extreme pain.

How you should handle sensitive teeth: Rinse your mouth with warm, salty water, and avoid extremely hot, cold, acidic, or sweet foods. Over-the-counter desensitizing toothpaste can also provide temporary relief. If the pain continues or gets worse, give us a call.

How we treat tooth sensitivity: When you arrive for your appointment, we’ll first evaluate the source of your sensitivity. Common treatments include fluoride varnishes to strengthen enamel, bonding to cover exposed areas, or filling cavities. If gum recession is the cause, a gum graft may be needed to protect the tooth roots and alleviate discomfort.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Yes, a knocked-out tooth is one of the most urgent dental emergencies! Seeing us as fast as possible increases the likelihood of saving your tooth. Ideally, you’ll need to see us within 30 to 60 minutes after the injury for the best chance at a positive outcome.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth:

• Carefully pick up the tooth by the crown (the top part), avoiding the root.
• Rinse it gently with water if dirty, but don’t scrub or apply soap.
• Try to reinsert the tooth into its socket if possible; if not, keep it moist by placing it in a container of milk or between your cheek and gums.
• Avoid letting the tooth dry out, as this decreases the chances of successful re-implantation.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: When you arrive at Athens Dental Associates, we’ll assess the tooth’s condition and attempt to reinsert it into the socket if we can. To stabilize the tooth, we may use a splint, allowing it time to heal. If re-implantation isn’t possible, we’ll discuss replacement options like implants or bridges to restore your smile.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? A lost filling or crown isn’t usually a critical emergency, but it does require quick, professional treatment. Otherwise, the exposed tooth could be damaged or become infected.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: Keep the area around your tooth clean and avoid chewing on that side of your mouth. If possible, use dental cement or sugarless gum to cover the exposed area temporarily. Avoid using permanent or toxic adhesives like superglue to try to reattach the restoration yourself.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns: Once we see you, we’ll examine the affected tooth and determine if the crown or filling can be reused. If it’s in good condition, we may re-cement it. However, if it’s too damaged, we’ll need to send a new impression to our dental lab to create a replacement restoration.

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? Yes, a broken denture can disrupt eating and speaking, making it an urgent dental issue, especially if you rely on your prosthetics daily.

How to handle a broken denture: Don’t try to repair the denture yourself! It can be tempting, but this could make the damage worse. Instead, collect and store all the pieces safely before calling our office.

How we treat broken dentures: When you arrive, we will examine your denture and, if possible, perform a quick repair. If the damage is extensive, we may send it to a partnered dental lab for repairs or to create a new prosthetic to ensure it fits comfortably.

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Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a loose permanent tooth a dental emergency? Yes, it is considered a dental emergency because it may be the result of injury or advanced gum disease.

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: Avoid touching or wiggling the tooth with your fingers or objects. Also, try to eat soft foods to avoid making the issue worse and contact us immediately.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: The treatment will depend on the cause. If it’s due to an accident or trauma, we may use a splint to stabilize the tooth while it heals. For gum disease, we’ll provide a deep cleaning and possible periodontal treatment to improve support.

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

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Learn More About Gum Disease Treatment

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? These injuries can be dental emergencies depending on their severity. If there’s extreme pain or heavy bleeding, give us a call.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: Rinse your mouth with clean water and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. If bleeding continues after 10-15 minutes, find an emergency room instead of coming to see us.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: We will clean the affected area and may place sutures if needed. Antibiotics may also be prescribed to prevent infection, depending on the injury.

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Jaw pain can indicate an emergency, especially if accompanied by swelling, difficulty moving your jaw, or clicking sounds. Taken together, these symptoms could suggest TMJ issues or an infection.

How you should handle jaw pain: Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and take over-the-counter pain relievers to manage discomfort until you can visit our office.

How we treat jaw pain: At our office, we’ll examine the cause of your jaw pain and recommend solutions like bite adjustments or TMJ treatment. It’s important to treat the root cause of your jaw pain and not just the symptoms!

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

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Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is something stuck between your teeth a dental emergency? Usually, it’s not an emergency unless it causes pain or damage to your teeth or gums. However, if this is the case, come see us as soon as possible.

How you should handle something stuck between your teeth: Before your appointment, try to use dental floss to gently remove the debris. However, you should avoid using sharp objects like pins or toothpicks, as they can do more harm than good to your gums and enamel.

How we treat something stuck between your teeth: When you arrive at our office, we can carefully remove the object with specialized tools if it’s still stuck. We’ll also check for and treat any damage to reduce the risk of complications.