If you are in pain, Baton Rouge emergency dentist Dr. Perry will see you today. If you are suffering, don’t delay your treatment in the hopes that it will just get better by itself. In the case of dental issues, it rarely does. The pain may eventually go away, but the infection doesn’t, and it gets more entrenched and complicated to treat.
What Is a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency is an urgent issue with your tooth or oral tissue caused by trauma, infection, or a broken or loose restoration. Sometimes blunt force trauma results in broken, chipped, or knocked-out teeth. Or a dental emergency can arise from an infection that has developed into an abscess.
Whatever the cause, as a general rule people often delay emergency dental treatment. The reasons for this are complicated but may involve embarrassment over their general state of dental health if they have not had regular appointments over the years. Some people are afraid of going to the dentist, and so put off both routine protective care and acute care.
We hope this does not happen to you. If you have a dental emergency, our only interest is in stopping your pain and restoring your dental health. We are not here to berate you about not flossing, or coerce you into making cleaning appointments. We are here to stop the pain.
Emergency Dental Care Pain Management
If the thought of going to the dentist puts you in a cold sweat, you’re not alone. And we can help. Dr. Perry and his team are experienced in the use of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), which helps most fearful and stressed dental patients relax enough for the numbing medications to be completely effective. If your anxiety is extremely high, we can administer oral sedatives before your appointment. Sometimes just knowing that we understand and that we have the tools to help you tolerate treatment can help ease a little bit of your fear.
What Can You Do at Home?
If you have a dental emergency, what can you do at home? These first aid tips will help you maximize your chances for a good outcome when you arrive at our office. These steps could mean the difference between saving and losing your traumatized tooth.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Being careful not to remove any attached tissue, gently rinse the knocked-out tooth. If it is not too painful, gently and carefully replace the tooth in the socket and hold it in place while you travel to our office. If this is not possible, place the tooth in a glass of milk and get here as soon as you can.
Lost Filling
Seal the area with sugarless gum, and call us for an appointment.
Broken Tooth
If possible, save any pieces of the broken tooth that you can locate. Rinse your mouth out with warm water. To reduce swelling, apply a cold compress.
Toothache or Dental Abscess
Rinse your mouth with warm water and use dental floss to make sure no food is stuck between the tooth and its neighboring teeth. If the pain persists, call and set up an appointment. If you see a pimple-like swelling on your gums, rinse with warm salt water and call immediately. The swelling is probably a dental abscess and can become much more serious if not addressed immediately.