Dental trauma is any injury to your gums, teeth, mouth, or face that potentially has serious, long-lasting consequences. Ignoring a dental emergency increases the risk of the damage being permanent. It’s important to contact our office as soon as the injury occurs, so treatment can be prompt and effective.

We have the tools to help with all kinds of dental emergencies. There are things you can do in the immediate aftermath of the emergency that can help your situation until you get to our office:

If you’ve had a tooth knocked out: Rinse it gently and put it back in the socket, if it is safe to do so. If not, immerse the tooth in a cup of milk or warm water with a pinch of salt. This will preserve essential nerve endings in the tooth from dying out and increase the chances it can be reinserted successfully.

If your tooth has become chipped or cracked: Find and save any pieces of the tooth that you can. Rinse your mouth out gently with warm water, and apply a cold compress for any swelling and pain.

If you’ve lost a crown: Contact us immediately to have a replacement made. Leaving the tooth uncrowned can lead to damage.

If you have a soft tissue injury: Soft-tissue injuries are any injury that causes bleeding in the mouth or gums. Rinse your mouth out carefully, and hold damp gauze against the injury site for 15 minutes. Soft-tissue injuries may not be serious enough to warrant a visit to the office, but if the bleeding persists, contact us.

If you experience a dental emergency, you should always contact our office as soon as possible. We can provide you with instructions on how to care for your mouth in the immediate aftermath of the emergency, and how we can fit you into the office to help you as soon as possible. If you have additional dental emergency questions, contact us as soon as possible.