Repairing a chipped or broken tooth is just one of the many emergency dental services offered in Brookline, MA
Are you suffering from tooth pain that won’t go away? Do you have a chipped or broken tooth due to injury or trauma? Do you have another issue that you think might be a dental emergency? If you answered yes to any of these questions, relief is just a phone call away. The caring, experienced team at Alpha Plus Dental Center in Brookline, MA will give you the emergency dental treatment that you need. Whether we are repairing a broken or chipped tooth, or eliminating a tooth infection, we will give you the care you need, when you need it. In many cases, we’re able to see dental emergencies the same day.
Emergency dentistry is the use of restorative or general procedures to alleviate pain during an emergency. Our goal is to provide our patients with a fast solution that gives quick relief and eliminates discomfort and suffering.
Reasons patients may need emergency dentistry
The following are examples of dental emergencies that we treat:
- Tooth pain – Tooth pain can be caused by many factors, such as injury or infection. We will assess your tooth to determine the cause of your pain and then offer emergency services to alleviate that pain.
- Injury – Injuries can occur in sports or as the result of a fall or accident. If you experience an injury that causes you pain, or a broken or loose tooth, it’s important to seek emergency dental care as soon as possible.
- Loose tooth – If a permanent tooth becomes loose, emergency services can potentially help save the tooth before it falls out.
- Failing dental work – If you lose a filling, dental crown, or other type of dental work, it can often cause a dental emergency. Having the failing dental work evaluated quickly can often solve the problem.
If your situation doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, but is causing you concern, we encourage you to call our office. Our highly trained staff is skilled with emergency dental care and we want to do everything we can to resolve your problem as quickly as possible.
What you should do in a dental emergency
If the tooth has a large crack, there is a big piece missing, or the tooth has fallen out, you should seek immediate emergency care. However, in the meantime, there are some things you can do to help save the tooth.
- Broken tooth – Begin by rinsing your mouth with warm water. If there is bleeding, use a piece of gauze or a moist tea bag and apply pressure until the bleeding stops. An icepack on the cheek can help with swelling and pain. If you can’t get an appointment right away, temporary dental cement from the drugstore can be used to protect the tooth.
- Knocked out tooth – If your tooth falls out, it’s important to touch it as little as possible and avoid touching the root altogether. If you can, try to get the tooth back in the socket and bite down on damp gauze to keep it in place, being careful not to swallow it. If you can’t get the tooth back in the socket, rinse it gently and keep it in a container of milk. Biting down on a cold compress can help control bleeding.
What your dentist will do in a dental emergency
The first thing we will do in your emergency dental appointment is assess the injury. There are many different types of tooth fractures and breaks, ranging from a minor crack to a break that split the tooth or exposes the nerve. For some minor issues, the crack may be able to be repaired with composite resin. If the nerve tissue is damaged, root canal therapy, followed by a dental crown may be necessary to save the tooth. If the tooth has been knocked out, time is of the essence. We have the best chance of saving the tooth if it’s re-implanted within an hour.
At Alpha Plus Dental Center, we pride ourselves on helping people in the Brookline, MA area who experience dental emergencies. If you are concerned about an accident or tooth pain, don’t delay, call our office at (617) 274-8494.
