Dental emergencies can be stressful and scary, especially if you’re unsure what to do or who to turn to to get the help you need. At Epic Family Dental, Dr. James Sorge, your top emergency dentist in San Clemente, CA, can quickly relieve your pain and discomfort when unexpected dental issues arise.
Here are some tips for dealing with a dental emergency so that you know what to do when an urgent situation arises. Taking the time beforehand to familiarize yourself with the resources available in your area and understanding what constitutes a dental emergency will help ensure you have access to the care you need should an unexpected problem arise.
First, it’s essential to understand what constitutes a dental emergency. Generally speaking, any situation involving severe pain, bleeding gums or teeth, or a broken tooth, these require immediate attention from a qualified professional like those at Epic Family Dental. Additionally, suppose you have recently undergone oral surgery and experience severe bleeding or swelling near the surgical site. In that case, it is considered an emergency and should be addressed immediately.
Now that you know what qualifies as an urgent dental issue, here are some tips for dealing with a dental emergency:
- Call your dentist right away: If your dentist is unavailable or doesn’t offer after-hours service, then call an emergency dentist, such as Dr. James Sorge, right away. In most cases, we can provide quick relief from painful symptoms while helping prevent further damage from occurring until your regular dentist can be seen.
- Stop the bleeding: If there is bleeding within the mouth, use a clean cloth or gauze pad held firmly against the affected area for ten minutes until the bleeding stops. If it persists, contact Epic Family Dental, your emergency dentist, ASAP for assistance.
- Save any pieces of teeth that come out: When possible, try to locate any pieces of broken teeth on your tongue or inside your cheek and place them into a small cup filled with milk before calling us right away – saving any fragments may make it possible for them to be reattached if timely treatment is received at our office.
- Take over-the-counter pain medication: For milder forms of discomfort, such as throbbing pain throughout the mouth due to sensitivity, try taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen first before heading in for an examination – this will help reduce inflammation and make it easier for Dr. Sorge to diagnose and treat whatever underlying cause is present quickly at our office.
- Avoid putting pressure on teeth: When chewing food, make sure not to bite down hard on anything and avoid eating anything overly chewy since both could potentially cause more damage if something needs repair beyond just simple cleaning by your hygienist at Epic Family Dental.
- Rinse with warm salt water: This home remedy can help reduce swelling around gum tissue caused by infection while helping flush out bacteria that might otherwise become lodged between tooth crevices. Mix two teaspoons of table salt with eight ounces of warm water before swishing gently around inside the mouth for 30 seconds. Spit out afterward but don’t swallow any solution remaining inside your mouth, either!
- Don’t put off seeking treatment: No matter how minor or significant your dental emergency may appear to be, don’t wait long before getting professional medical attention. Call Epic Family Dental immediately upon feeling sudden oral discomfort! Even if symptoms seem manageable now, they could worsen overnight without proper intervention.
Emergency Dentist in San Clemente, CA
Following these tips should help make dealing with a dental emergency much easier than trying to wing it alone during crisis moments. It will benefit both short-term comfort levels and long-term health outcomes associated with whatever underlying causes exist in each case. So don’t hesitate to reach out today! Call your top emergency dentist in San Clemente.
