Urgent Dental Care in Highland, MI: What Situations are Dental Emergencies?

• Knocked-Out Tooth

If your tooth is knocked out, it is not only a scary experience but a painful one. You will need to act quickly in this situation and get to an urgent dental care office as soon as you can. Make sure to call your dentist and go to the dental care office immediately, whether it be a morning, evening, weekend, or holiday. When the incident occurs, place your tooth in a glass of milk. To avoid touching the roots of the tooth, pick it up by the top or crown, then leave it in the milk. Do not attempt to clean the tooth or to rinse it. The longer your tooth is outside of your mouth, the more difficult it will be for your dentist to save it. You need to do your best to get to the dentist within 30 minutes of the tooth being knocked out if at all possible, or a dental implant may have to be used to replace your tooth.

• Broken or Cracked Tooth

If one of your teeth breaks or cracks, you should wash your mouth out right away with warm water, then place an ice pack on your face in the area in which the tooth is located.

This will help with any swelling that may occur. You will more than likely experience some amount of pain and should take over-the-counter pain medication to relieve it while calling your dentist. You will probably need a filling to repair your tooth or even a root canal or a crown.

• Toothache

A toothache is one of the most common of all dental emergencies. There are many things that can cause a toothache, including a cavity or teeth grinding. You should rinse your mouth out with warm water and floss the area to ensure there are no food particles causing the pain. You take pain medication if necessary, and use an ice pack to lessen the swelling. Call your dentist to make an appointment as soon as possible.