Your friend’s elbow rockets into your face as they go up for a rebound, and you immediately feel a shooting pain radiate throughout your entire jaw. Your weekly basketball game instantly comes to a halt as you realize one of your teeth has just been knocked out. You’re bleeding, disoriented by the pain, and you don’t know what to do. Should you call 911? Do they even take care of this sort of thing? What is the fastest way for you to get relief? Firstly, don’t go to the emergency room; this is the exact kind of situation where you should call your emergency dentist in Waco at Heart of Texas Smiles. It’s the only way for you to get the treatment you need quickly.
Avoid the Emergency Room
Each year, over a million people go to the emergency room because of dental problems. While they might be able to provide medication to stop the pain, very few emergency departments are equipped to actually handle dental care. More than likely, they will make you wait behind more urgent patients, or divert you to a dental practice anyway. When it comes to emergency dental care, the best place for you to be is with your dentist in Waco. They’ll have both the tools and the training to give you the exact kind of help that you need.
When Should I Call My Emergency Dentist?
If you traumatically injure your teeth or are in a large amount of dental pain, this is a dental emergency, and in order to get the appropriate treatment, you need to act swiftly. Some common dental emergencies are:
- Knocked out teeth
- Broken or cracked teeth
- Broken or cracked dental work
- Severe toothache
- Large object caught between teeth
- Injury to the jaw
- Injury to the gums
- Swelling
What To Do During a Dental Emergency
Dental emergencies are very common, especially for people who frequently play sports, and you should call us as soon as possible after experiencing one. In fact, you should put our number in your phone right now so you don’t have to look it up while injured. This will enable our doctors to make an appointment to see you as soon as possible (even the same day), and allow our team to instruct you on how to apply first-aid. Some basic tips are:
- Keep a knocked out or broken tooth wet. Put it back in your mouth or in a container of milk. This will preserve it until we can see you.
- Rinse the injured area with warm water to prevent infection.
- Use a cold compress to reduce the pain and swelling.
- Ideally, have someone else drive you to the office.
The care you receive immediately after a dental emergency is just as important as what you will get at the office. These initial moments are critical. When you make it to the office, our doctors will quickly get to work relieving your pain and fixing your problem.
Any Questions?
A serious injury to your teeth can be a very distressing experience, and trying to think clearly at that time can be difficult. Fortunately, you can now have a plan in place. Hopefully you never have to use it, but it can still give you peace of mind, and make all the difference if you ever do.
If you’d like to know more about what to do in a dental emergency, or how to prevent one, please give us a call today.