About 2 million people go to emergency rooms for dental pain every year. However, in most cases, your own dentist is the best resource for urgent situations. At 2K Dental, Dr. George Kontoveros, Dr. Anthony Klobas, and our experienced team offer a full scope of emergency dentistry services at our four offices in Parma, Cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls, and Akron, Ohio.
So, how do you know when you actually have a dental emergency? Read on to learn what determines if you have an emergency dentistry need.
Dental emergencies generally fall into a few main categories, including severe pain, bleeding that won’t stop, tooth trauma, and severe infections. In general, if your situation falls into any of those categories, it requires prompt professional care.
Some of the specific types of issues within these categories include:
A knocked-out tooth can cause severe pain and bleeding. It's a dental emergency with a relatively short time frame to seek help, so you need to come to your nearest 2K Dental office within an hour or two to give your tooth the best chance of survival.
If your tooth is knocked out, rinse it lightly in water as you hold it by its crown (not the root). Replace the tooth in the socket, and use some clean gauze or a paper napkin to help hold it in place until you reach our office for help. If you don’t feel comfortable placing it back in your mouth, place it in a small container and submerge it in saliva, milk, or water.
Broken or cracked teeth can be quite painful, and may in some cases cause serious bleeding. Because a broken or cracked tooth exposes the delicate inner part of the tooth, it can be extremely painful.
Apply a cold compress to reduce pain and stop swelling. If possible, cover your exposed tooth with a piece of sugarless chewing gum until you reach our office.
An oral abscess is a collection of pus under, around, or inside your tooth. This problem develops due to a bacterial infection and can cause severe throbbing pain as well as issues like bad breath, gum swelling, and extreme temperature sensitivity.
If you suspect an oral abscess, apply a cold compress and reach out to our office for help as soon as possible.
In rare cases, fillings, crowns, bridges, and dental implants may loosen or fall out. This may cause pain, as it can expose the inner tooth or allow debris to reach your delicate gums.
If this happens to you, immediately secure your filling or restoration. If it’s still attached to your tooth, add a piece of gauze or a paper napkin and bite down lightly to help keep it in place. If it’s detached, keep the restoration in a safe place, like a cup, and bring it to our office with you as soon as possible.
2K Dental can also help with a number of other dental emergencies, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any dental issue that you can’t manage, ease, or resolve yourself. We offer comprehensive care for dental emergencies in the office, including infection treatment, pain relief, dental restorations, and more.
If you have a dental emergency, click the online scheduler or call any of our 2K Dental offices in Parma, Cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls, and Akron, Ohio, for help right away.
