Emergency Dentistry Newington, CT

There are times where a dental emergency could be preventable. For instance, when playing contact sports, we recommend using a custom mouthguard to help protect the teeth and jaw. Routine dental exams are another great way to lower your risk of a dental emergency. In some cases, dental emergencies develop because patients neglect their dental health.

In general, a dental emergency is a situation where you need immediate treatment to stop bleeding, relieve overwhelming pain, or save a tooth. Most dental emergencies require attention from a dentist within 24-48 hours.

 A few common dental emergencies include:

• Toothaches
• Tooth Infection or Dental Abscess
• Broken fillings
• Knocked-out tooth
• Lost crown or loose dental crown
• Painful, infected or decayed teeth
• Chipped, cracked, fractured or broken teeth

A toothache could be telling you it’s time to seek urgent dental care. While you’re waiting for an appointment with an emergency dentist, there are some steps you can take at home to reduce your tooth pain.

1) Over-the-counter pain relievers.

For temporary pain relief, over-the-counter pain relievers, like ibuprofen, can help reduce pain and swelling. 

2) Rinse with warm salt water.

Rinsing your mouth out with warm salt water a few times a day is a tried and true at-home remedy that can help reduce swelling and bacteria.

3) Cold compress.

Gently placing an ice pack or cold compress to your face at the affected area can help reduce pain and swelling.

4) Garlic poultice.

Another proven at-home remedy for temporary pain relief is garlic. It’s not only tasty on food, but it also has beneficial medicinal purposes. You can either chew a garlic clove whole, or form a paste by mashing it and then applying it to your tooth. 

5) Hydrogen peroxide.

It will not relieve tooth pain, but it will help fight off infection and reduce bacteria left behind by food debris. Mix a small amount with warm water as a mouthwash solution.

If an accident has caused a tooth to become loose or out of alignment, with very light pressure, you can try to place the tooth back in its original position using your finger and then bite down to keep the tooth from moving. Be sure to call our office and make an appointment to get it treated as soon as possible.

A fractured or cracked tooth usually indicates that damage has occurred to the inside of the tooth as well as to the outside and requires immediate attention in order to save the tooth. If you have damaged your tooth, call us immediately for an emergency appointment and follow the steps below.

• Gently rinse your mouth out with warm salt water.
• Apply an ice pack or cold compress to the area to minimize any swelling.
• Take ibuprofen to ease any pain.

A cracked or fractured tooth will most likely require a dental crown. While most dental offices use an outside laboratory to make the crown, Dr. Adamidis utilizes CEREC technology that allows him to fabricate your permanent crown in-office during the same appointment. This eliminates the need for you to have to wear a temporary crown and then return for a second visit to place a permanent crown.

Swelling along your jaw is a common sign of a tooth infection, or an abscess, especially if it is accompanied by pain. These are usually caused by cavities that have gone untreated. Because it won’t go away on its own, it’s important to visit a dentist as soon as possible to get the underlying condition treated.

When a permanent tooth has been knocked out, you will almost certainly require a root canal. This is because the nerves, blood vessels, and supporting tissues will have endured significant damage. While it is challenging to save an adult tooth, it is not impossible. To increase the chance of being able to save the tooth, it’s crucial to see a dentist as soon as possible, usually within an hour of the tooth being knocked out. It’s also very important that you properly care for a tooth once it has been knocked out. Here are some steps you should follow:

• Handle the tooth carefully and pick it up by the crown – the top of the tooth. Do not touch the root – the part of the tooth that sits below the gums.
• If it’s dirty, hold the tooth by the crowns and rinse it tooth with water or milk. Do not use sops or try to dry the tooth.
• You will need to keep the tooth moist as possible to make it that much easier for the dentist to put it back in your mouth. Do not wrap it in a paper towel or tissue. The best way to keep it moist is either by placing it in a container and covering it with milk or water. If neither of these are available, you can “store” it in your mouth between your cheek and gums.

If the tooth can not be saved our Newington dentists highly recommend that the tooth be replaced. Effective tooth replacement options like dental implants not only restore functionality, but also provide a cosmetic solution by filling the gap left by a missing tooth.

A crown becomes loose for a variety of reasons and can be very unsettling, but it’s also a fairly common problem. If you have a crown that is loose but hasn’t fallen out, do not disturb it. Refrain from touching or wiggling it. Chew food on the side that doesn’t have the restoration.
If your dental restoration has come completely off the tooth, the sooner you come see us, the better. If the crown is still in good shape, our dentists can easily cement it back in place. Without a proper restoration the vulnerable tooth underneath the crown will be susceptible to damage and decay. While waiting for your appointment with us to have your crown properly re-cemented, you can do the following to help keep your dental crown in place.

• Place your crown back on your tooth to take note of how it fits.
• You can adhere the crown back in place using a small amount of Vaseline, Chapstick, Denture Paste or Toothpaste.
• Firmly bite down on a dry washcloth for a few minutes.
• Clean off any excessive adhesive you see.