A dental emergency can lead to significant pain and emotional distress. If, for example, you’ve had your front teeth knocked out or you’re experiencing swelling around the tooth root, you can’t wait a week for an appointment. These kinds of events call for emergency dental services in TX.
But you don’t want the hassle or cost of going to a traditional emergency room.
At Lovett Dental Sugar Land, we can get you in quickly. And in most cases, we’ll resolve the issue on the same day or provide a temporary solution while we work on a more permanent one.
Common Reasons for Emergency Dental Services in TX
Several occurrences may leave you or your child in need of emergency care:
- Toothache
- Braces malfunctions – stuck food, poking wire, disconnected bracket
- Swelling or abscess
- Chipped or broken tooth
- Knocked-out permanent (adult) tooth
- Lost filling or dental crown
- Bitten tongue or lip over 1/4 inch or infected
- Burned roof of mouth that won’t heal after up to 10 days or infected
When any of these occur, contact Lovett Dental Sugar Land for emergency dental services in TX. During a follow-up appointment, general and cosmetic dentistry services can bring your smile back with new dental crowns, tooth implants, etc.
How to Reduce Tooth Pain
Quite often, the pain makes a dental event an emergency. So it’s essential to know how to reduce the pain while you’re on the way to emergency dental services in TX.
First, try to stay calm. If you or your child are bleeding, then biting down gently on a clean rag or shirt can help. You can also use a cotton ball, gauze, or something similar. However, if the individual is likely to swallow foreign objects, use something more substantial.
As a general rule, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the safest oral pain medication for tooth pain. Take as directed on the bottle.
NSAIDs like Advil, Motrin, Midol, Aleve, and even aspirin thin the blood, so they should never be taken when someone is bleeding. Avoid any painkiller that has naproxen in it.
Topically, apply clove oil to the painful area with a clean cloth for fast relief while the oral pain medication kicks in. You can find clove oil over the counter in most pharmacies and supermarkets.
The pain may subside, now. And as a result, you may think you can wait. But don’t wait to get emergency dental services in TX.
What to Do If Your Tooth Is Knocked Out
If it’s a baby tooth, then the tooth underneath it will eventually replace it. But if it’s an adult tooth, you’ll want to preserve it if you can.
If you get to the dentist in one to two hours, we can possibly re-implant it. This will vary by person and the severity of the incident.
So rinse your mouth out with warm water. Then apply your gauze. Bite down gently to reduce the bleeding.
If the bleeding stops, apply a cold compress to keep swelling at bay.
Now, put the tooth/teeth in a freezer bag or similar container. The roots must stay hydrated to increase the chances of successful reimplantation.
To accomplish this, you’ll need to use what’s handy. This may be:
- Contact solution
- Water with a pinch of regular sodium salt or sea salt. But not potassium salt, which pulls moisture out of an object.
- Milk
- Saliva of the person who lost the tooth
When to Call 911
Usually, a dental emergency isn’t a 911 emergency. But if you feel that someone’s life is at significant risk, consider calling 911 or going to your hospital’s emergency room.
Making an Appointment for Emergency Dental Services in TX
Lovett Dental in Sugar Land, Texas provides multi-specialty dental services like:
- Orthodontics (braces)
- General dentistry
- Emergency dentistry
- Dental implants
If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, take the above steps to reduce pain, stop bleeding, and preserve a lost tooth. We welcome walk-ins during business hours. So you don’t have to call ahead in an emergency.
But if you can, please call us at 281-759-5900 to speak with a friendly receptionist who will get you in for an emergency appointment.
