A dental emergency can mean many things, so it’s always best to contact our dental office if you're unsure. A dental emergency is any oral health complication that risks your teeth, gums, or oral structures. In Duncan, we also consider pain a dental emergency.
If you have a dental emergency, seeing the dentist as soon as possible is crucial to avoid complications, including losing a painful tooth.
Remember, we designed our emergency dentistry to eliminate pain quickly and prevent complications!
Common Dental Emergencies
Of course, it’s impossible to imagine every scenario, but common dental emergencies include:
- Toothache or increasing dental pain
- Knocked out or broken tooth
- Knocked out or broken restoration
- Abscesses (swelling, pain, redness)
- Oral injury
Sometimes, a small chip in the tooth can wait until the next opening on the schedule, but only if it’s not causing pain.
Steps to Take at Home
As you await your emergency dental visit, there are things you can do at home to ease discomfort, swelling, and bleeding.
We recommend an over-the-counter pain medication to ease toothache symptoms temporarily. You can also gargle with warm saltwater.
For swelling, you can apply an ice pack periodically. If you don’t have an ice pack, try a bag of frozen vegetables.
You can bite down on sterile gauze for bleeding to staunch the flow.
A dental team member can provide more specific advice when you call to book your emergency visit.
If you’re involved in a trauma outside the oral cavity, you must visit the nearest emergency room for an assessment before contacting our dental office. Your well-being and safety are always the priority.
Do You Need an Emergency Dentist in Duncan?
If you have an oral health issue or suspect a dental emergency, we urge you to contact our dental office as soon as possible to book an appointment.