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What to Do in a Dental Emergency

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911. If you have any of the below issues, please call our office immediately for emergency assistance! To expedite your care, please add our office's number, (252) 636-1777 to your contacts so that if an emergency happens you can reach us immediately!

We've also included some pain-alleviating tips you can use until you make it into our office.

Toothache

Rinse out your mouth with warm saltwater to dislodge trapped food between your teeth. If you have facial swelling, use a cold compress and an over-the-counter pain reliever for temporary relief.

Toothaches don't always require emergency extraction, but sometimes they do. If you are experiencing severe pain, you need to contact your dentist or visit the closest emergency room, as certain oral health issues, such as abscessed teeth, severely cracked teeth, impacted wisdom teeth, and traumatic tooth injuries, require emergency tooth extraction to relieve pain and prevent infection and injuries from worsening.

Cut Tongue, Lip, or Cheek

For bleeding, apply pressure with sterile gauze to reduce the chance of infection and complication. Use your better judgment as well; if the cut looks significant, and the bleeding does not seem to be subsiding, visit or contact an emergency room.

Broken, Cracked, or Chipped Tooth

Rinse the area with warm water, and place a cold compress over the site of the injury. If you can, recover any broken tooth fragments. If possible, save the tooth fragment and rinse both your mouth and the salvaged tooth pieces with warm water.

Knocked Out Permanent Tooth

Recover the tooth and hold it by the crown (top), not the root. Rinse, but do not over-clean or over-handle. Put and hold the tooth in place using a clean piece of gauze or cloth. If reinsertion is impossible, carry the tooth in a cup of milk or water. Stopping the bleeding is most important. Don't remove any attached tissue, they help re-secure the tooth!

Tooth Infection

If the infection is mild, your dentist may prescribe antibiotics to help clear it up. This may be an oral or topical antibiotic which is applied directly to the infected area. Antibiotics must be taken as prescribed and a follow-up appointment may be requested by your dentist to make sure the infection is completely gone.

Broken Wires and Braces

If a wire breaks or sticks out of a bracket in your braces and pokes around your mouth, try and push it to a non-bothersome position. If you can't do this, add a cotton swab until you can see your provider. Leave the wire as is. You may swallow it if cut.

Cold, Canker Sores and Abscesses

Over-the-counter medications can provide temporary relief as well. Use only as directed. An abscess is a serious infection that typically occurs in the gumline around the teeth. If left alone, infections might spread to the body. Visit your emergency provider as soon as possible if you discover pain or swelling in the gums.