Emergency Dentistry
At Integrity Dental, we work hard to help Farmington dentistry patients keep their smiles healthy for a lifetime. Unfortunately, dental emergencies aren’t always preventable. If you or a loved one are experiencing a dentistry emergency, it’s time to call our team. We are here to help whenever patients need us most, and that includes providing same day emergency dental appointments whenever possible. If we can’t see you on the day that you call, we will walk you through how to care for your smile over the phone, and one of our knowledgeable team members will help you to relieve pain until we can schedule an appointment for you in our Farmington dental office.
What Counts as a Dental Emergency?
If you’re in pain, have experienced dental damage, or your situation is impeding your ability to speak, chew, or perform daily tasks, it’s time to give our team a call. It’s always best to get started repairing your smile right away, so even if we determine that you don’t need to visit our office immediately, we will schedule an appointment for you to visit us soon and begin the restoration process. Some of those dental health concerns we see most often on an emergency basis include:
- Severe toothache or dental sensitivity indicating a need for root canal therapy
- Lost or knocked out tooth or dental restoration
- Broken tooth or dental restoration
- Broken, bent, or painful partial and full dentures
- Soft tissue lacerations
- Food or other items stuck between teeth
What Should I do During an Emergency?
During a dental emergency, you should start by calling our team. We will walk you through first aid on the phone and answer your questions. Some basic steps patients can take to minimize oral health care risks include:
- Clean the area as soon as possible using cool water. Do not scrub or brush the area or use oral hygiene products unless directed to do so by your dentist.
- Apply gentle pressure to stop bleeding. If pressure does not work, apply ice packs to slow blood flow.
- If all or part of your tooth is knocked out, retrieve it. If possible, replace the tooth in the socket it came from. If not possible, store the parts of teeth in a container of milk or water.
- Take over the counter pain relievers as directed to reduce discomfort, but don’t place an aspirin directly onto the damaged tooth as this can cause further issues.
Can I Prevent Dental Emergencies?
Not all dental emergencies can be avoided, but there are steps you can take to significantly reduce your risk for these situations. Some of the basics we recommend to our Farmington dental patients include:
- Brush teeth at least two minutes at a time at least twice a day using a soft toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste
- Floss daily with any flossing tool you feel comfortable using, making sure to remove plaque from both sides of each tooth
- Add brushing between meals to further reduce plaque buildup and improve oral health
- Visit our office twice each year for dental exams and teeth cleanings
- Wear protective mouthguards during athletic competition
- Wear a nightguard to protect teeth from grinding and clenching
- Don’t chew on nails, ice, or other hard objects
- Don’t use teeth to open packages or crack nuts