Emergency Dentist – Claremore, OK

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Among patients, there’s a common misconception that toothaches can be ignored. They can’t. Remember, even if it seems minor, it could be the result of an untreated oral health issue, like a cavity. So, our Claremore emergency dentist needs to intervene before it damages your tooth further.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Until your appointment, your main priority is preventing further dental damage and alleviating your discomfort. To accomplish both of these, we recommend rinsing with warm saltwater every so often, not eating anything especially crunchy, and taking an OTC pain reliever as needed.

How We Treat Toothaches Before we review your treatment options and share our recommendations, we will need to take X-rays and examine your tooth to determine what the root of the problem is and how severe it is. With all of that said, toothaches can often be treated with a dental filling, dental crown, or root canal therapy.

Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? If you aren’t in any pain, then you don’t need to call us immediately. We do, however, recommend getting in touch within a day or two. Remember, even a small chip can result in sensitivity, an infection, and further dental damage.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth In addition to keeping your mouth clean by periodically rinsing with lukewarm water, we encourage our patients to cover the tooth (some sugar-free gum should do the trick), avoid eating crunchy foods, and take an OTC pain reliever as directed.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth You’ll have a few options depending on the size of the chip and the location of the tooth! Most often, our patients choose cosmetic dental bonding or a veneer. Of course, if the chip is on a molar, then we may recommend a dental crown instead.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Cracked teeth are definitely a dental emergency, so don’t wait to schedule an appointment with us! That way, we can restore the look and function of your tooth before the crack becomes larger or an infection develops.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth Again, handling a cracked tooth from home is mostly about what you shouldn’t do, like not smoking, not chewing on that side of your mouth, or, perhaps worst of all, not calling us to get the treatment you need.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Although each patient’s dental needs are unique, cracked teeth can typically be treated with a dental crown. If the crack is so severe that saving the tooth isn’t an option, then we will need to extract the tooth. Then, we can determine which tooth-replacement solution is best, like a dental bridge or dental implant.

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Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? When you drink hot coffee or bite into ice cream, do you feel a surge of pain going through your teeth? If so, you should contact our Claremore dental team to schedule an exam. Basically, we need to determine if a serious oral health issue is at hand or if it’s simply dental sensitivity.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth First, try switching to a desensitizing toothpaste. Additionally, do what you can to avoid irritating your teeth and gums, like not drinking hot and cold beverages. If nothing seems to be working, then you can take OTC pain medication as a short-term solution.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth Since tooth decay and gum disease are two possibilities, we will need to conduct an exam and take X-rays. From there, we can determine what the best course of action is to restore your pain-free smile, like eliminating an infection with root canal treatment.

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Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes! Whether you knocked out a front tooth, a back tooth, a primary tooth, or a permanent tooth, you need to visit our Claremore emergency dentist for treatment right away.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth It can be helpful to rinse your mouth with clean water, which allows you to see how severe the damage is. Additionally, you should locate the tooth and place it in a container of milk. Of course, this is all after the first step: calling our dental team.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth We need to see you for treatment within 60 minutes, so it’s important that you get to our office ASAP. From there, we can assess the condition of your tooth and determine if it’s feasible to save it. If you don’t have your tooth, then we will discuss if a dental implant or dental bridge can be used to fill the new gap in your smile.

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Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Although it may not seem like it, especially if the restoration is small, this is absolutely a dental emergency. We recommend contacting us as soon as possible so there’s a greater chance of being able to schedule an appointment the very same day.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown Since your tooth is now vulnerable, you shouldn’t chew on that side of your mouth. Instead, stick to soft foods, take an OTC pain reliever if you’re in pain, and store your restoration in a clean container if you still have it.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns Of course, we always have the option of providing you with a new dental filling or crown, which is often enticing for patients who had metal restorations. However, we can also re-cement your old dental crown back in place if it wasn’t damaged in the process of bringing it to your appointment.

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? A broken denture may not be an urgent dental emergency, but you do rely on it every day to chew your food, speak clearly, and smile confidently. You should have this issue addressed as soon as possible. Wearing a broken denture can lead to soft tissue irritation.

How to handle a broken denture: Don’t attempt to repair a broken denture on your own with a kit or household items. These items aren’t meant to be used in the mouth and you could make the damage worse. Instead, let us know your situation. Then, we can give you further instructions.

How we treat broken dentures: The way that we address broken dentures will depend on how bad the damage is. For small cracks, composite resin may do the trick. If the damage is more severe, you may need to be fitted for a new one. This is also a great time to consider a more permanent tooth replacement option, like dental implants.

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Loose Permanent Tooth

Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? Yes! If your tooth is loose, it is at risk of falling out. You should have this issue addressed as soon as possible. Give us a call right away!

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: As soon as you notice that your tooth is loose, call us to schedule a visit. In the meantime, don’t chew on the side of your mouth with the broken tooth, and don’t mess with your loose tooth with your tongue or fingers.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: We will do everything in our power to save your tooth. If we can’t save it, we can discuss tooth replacement options, like dental implants, to fill this space.

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Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? If you have an injury to your gums, lips, or tongue, this can be quite alarming as the area can bleed a lot. If you are worried about a wound, give us a call and let us know what happened. Then, we can give you further instructions.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: You should begin by rinsing the area with water. This will help to wash away dirt and debris. Using a clean washcloth, apply pressure to the area until the bleeding subsides. An ice pack can help with pain and inflammation.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: If the cut is on the smaller side, we might be able to help out by stitching the area. However, if the wound is big or bleeding isn’t stopping, you should go to the emergency room. We are more than happy to examine your smile after you have been discharged.

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Jaw pain isn’t usually a dental emergency, but it can be quite uncomfortable. If your pain is chronic or constant, let us know. We can begin taking steps to make your jaw feel better.

How you should handle jaw pain: Over-the-counter pain relievers and an ice pack are usually enough to assist with your painful jaw. If you think that your jaw is dislocated or broken, the emergency room is the best place to go. We would be happy to look at your smile after you have been discharged.

How we treat jaw pain: The treatment will depend on the situation. A nightguard for bruxism can help if your jaw pain is caused by teeth grinding or clenching. If your wisdom teeth are the issue, we can work with you to have those removed.

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Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Don’t use toothpicks, tweezers, or anything sharp to get items out from between your teeth. This is an easy way to injure your soft tissues or push the object in further. Instead, give your mouth a thorough rinse with water. Then, try to use dental floss to gently dislodge the object. If you are still struggling, give us a call so we can give you further instructions.