Your child takes a hard hit during a soccer game and spits out a tooth into their hand. What do you do with it? How fast do you need to get them to your dentist? Knowing what steps to take during a dental emergency can help you make the best choices.
Quick facts to know about dental emergencies:
- Knocked-out teeth have a two-hour window for successful reimplantation
- Swelling in the face plus a fever usually means infection, so call immediately
- Minor chips without pain can typically wait for a scheduled visit
- The ER handles facial trauma, but cannot perform most dental procedures
- Call Quality Dental Care at (863) 858-3891 with questions
What Counts as a True Dental Emergency
A dental emergency means that you need immediate professional attention from a dentist. Here are some examples of dental emergencies: Severe, unrelenting tooth pain that disrupts your ability to eat or sleep falls into this category. The same goes for visible swelling in your face, or gums count too, especially if fever or difficulty swallowing comes along with it.
A knocked-out permanent tooth demands the fastest response. You have roughly two hours to reach our Lakeland, FL, office for the best chance of saving it. A cracked tooth exposing the inner pulp also means that you need to seek care immediately, as does uncontrolled bleeding after an extraction or injury to your teeth or gums.
When Tooth Pain Is Serious
If you are experiencing sharp, throbbing pain that wakes you from sleep or interrupts your daily life, you need to call your dentist right away. Pain radiating to your ear, temple, or neck raises red flags as well. If you have sensitivity to heat or cold that lingers more than 30 seconds, you may be dealing with nerve issues.
Mild, intermittent discomfort that responds to over-the-counter pain relievers typically allows time to schedule a regular appointment. If your pain keeps getting worse, give us a call.
Cracked, Chipped, or Broken Teeth
A small cosmetic chip on a front tooth looks alarming, but usually poses no immediate health risk. You can call us and schedule a repair within a week. We'll give you more specific advice based on your situation.
A crack reaching the gum line or exposing pink or red tissue inside the tooth changes everything. Call us immediately. While you wait for your appointment, rinse your mouth gently with warm water and hold an ice pack against your cheek. If you have any large tooth fragments, pop them in a container of milk or saliva to keep them safe.
Knocked-Out Tooth: Steps to Take Right Away
Pick up the tooth by the crown only. Never touch the root or scrub away any attached tissue. If possible, reinsert the tooth into its socket and hold it in place by biting down on a clean cloth. Reinserting your tooth may feel difficult or may not work. If that happens, put the tooth in some milk or saliva.
Call us at (863) 858-3891 immediately. Dr. Smith and Dr. Zaman can often reimplant a tooth successfully when patients arrive within two hours.
ER vs. The Dentist in Lakeland
Hospital emergency rooms handle medical crises. However, they aren’t able to perform dental procedures. ER doctors can prescribe antibiotics and pain medication, but they cannot perform root canals, reattach teeth, or repair fractures.
You should go to the ER for uncontrolled bleeding that lasts more than 15 minutes. Other situations for which you should head to the ER include facial trauma with suspected broken bones or swelling severe enough to make breathing difficult. For every other dental emergency, calling our office first gets you to the right care faster.
What Can Wait for a Regular Appointment
Minor chips that leave smooth edges and cause no pain can wait a few days. What else can wait? Things like mild sensitivity or a lost filling or crown without pain don’t constitute an emergency. There are some things you should do, though, such as keeping the area clean and calling our office to make an appointment.
Emergency Dental Checklist
- Stay calm so that you can figure out the best next step
- Rinse your mouth gently with warm water
- Look for emergency signs: heavy bleeding, visible swelling, exposed tissue, or knocked-out teeth
- Save any broken tooth pieces in milk or saliva
- Apply an ice pack to your cheek (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off)
- Avoid chewing on the injured side
- Take over-the-counter pain relief
- Call Quality Dental Care at (863) 858-3891 for guidance
How Our Lakeland Dental Team Helps
Quality Dental Care in Lakeland reserves same-day appointments for urgent situations and offers Saturday hours by appointment. When you call with an emergency, our team will ask about your symptoms and provide immediate guidance. During your visit, we will take digital X-rays to see what’s going on in your mouth and discuss treatment options before proceeding.
Protect Your Smile with Prompt Care
True emergencies involving severe pain, swelling, knocked-out teeth, or uncontrolled bleeding need same-day attention. Minor concerns can wait for a scheduled visit. Quality Dental Care in Lakeland, FL, welcomes emergency patients Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. We are also open on Friday from 9 am to 3 pm, with limited Saturday availability. Call us at (863) 858-3891 for guidance about any dental concern.