Emergency Dentistry

For a broken arm or other emergency, patients know they can visit their nearest emergency room for care, but when the emergency involves dental health, many people aren’t sure where to begin. At Pleasant Grove Family Dentistry, we do our utmost to see patients experiencing the dental emergency right away. If you need help with toothache, jaw pain, or other emergency dentistry needs, call our Texarkana dentist and team right away. In many cases, we’re able to see patients on the same day they contact us, and if we can’t see you the day your emergency occurs, we’ll help you with directions for at-home care and pain management.

Common Dental Emergencies

Many patients hesitate to contact our Texarkana team because they’re worried they don’t need urgent dental care. However, even if your dental care doesn’t need treatment immediately, it’s always best for us to begin repairing your smile as soon as possible. Additionally, one of our knowledgeable team members can walk you through caring for your smile at home until you reach our office. Some of the dental emergencies we see most often include:

• Broken tooth or dental restoration (crown, bridge, etc.)
• Lost tooth or dental restoration
• Severe toothache or dental sensitivity
• Infection or inflammation in the gum tissue
• Broken or bent partial or full dentures
• Soft tissue lacerations
• Difficulty opening and closing the mouth or significant pain during movement
• Foreign items stuck in teeth

Caring for Your Smile at Home

One of our skilled dental team members will help you with at-home care and pain management when you call, but for patients who like to be prepared, some simple steps you can take include:

• Clean any damaged areas with cool water
• Do not scrub the tooth or damaged structure or use oral hygiene products unless otherwise instructed
• Handle any broken tooth parts by the biting surfaces rather than the tooth roots
• Use gauze or clean cloth to apply pressure to slow or stop bleeding
• Apply cold compresses or ice packs at 20 minute intervals to reduce swelling, relieve pain, and slow bleeding
• Use floss to try to remove items stuck between teeth, but do not use sharp items that may damage soft tissue
• Take over the counter pain relievers as directed, but do not place the aspirin directly onto a damaged tooth as this can cause additional damage
• Whenever possible, replace a damaged tooth or tooth part into the vacated socket, and store the tooth in water or milk if replacement isn’t possible

Preventing Dental Emergencies

We know that many dental emergencies simply cannot be avoided. However, there are some habits you can change to reduce your risk for dental emergencies, including:

• Brush teeth twice a day and floss teeth daily
• Visit our office every six months for dental checkups and teeth cleanings
• Use mouthguards to protect teeth from nighttime grinding and clenching or during athletic competitions
• Do not use teeth as tools to open packages or crack nuts
• Do not bite fingernails, eat ice, or chew on other hard objects