Dental emergencies are stressful by definition. However, with a little bit of pre-planning, you can make the treatment process easier and calmer when problems do arise. Our O’Fallon emergency dentists are here to help you do just that!
The first thing we recommend is to decide in advance whom you would call in a dental emergency. Does your dental team provide emergency care? If they don’t, do they refer their patients to a specific emergency provider? Once you’ve answered these questions, make sure that the contact info for your emergency dentist is:
- Readily available to everyone in the family
- Saved an easy-to-find place, like on the refrigerator
- Current, don’t forget to update your notes when your dentist moves or gets a new phone number
The next thing to consider is in which scenarios, specifically, emergency care is necessary. In most cases, minor dental cracks and chips do not necessitate same-day care; to treat these issues, simply call your dental team and schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If, however, cracks and chips expose sensitive dental nerves, you may need immediate care.
Likewise, if you have lost a tooth due to trauma or an accident, it is crucial that you see your dentist right away. There is a very narrow window of time—just a few hours—in which the lost tooth may be successfully re-inserted into the gum and jawbone tissue. In order to maintain the viability of the tooth, you want to gently place it back into its socket in the gum tissue, and hold it there until you see your dentist. In some cases, this may be impossible, or it may be painful; an alternative is to place your tooth into a glass of milk for transport.
At O’Fallon Dental Partnership we are here to help take the stress out of dental emergencies. While no one wants to deal with unexpected dental issues, we’re here to make treatment as convenient, efficient, and comfortable as possible. Give our team a call to learn more!