Emergency Dentist – Plattsburgh, NY

Toothaches

Is my toothache a dental emergency? While not every toothache is an emergency, some can be serious due to severe health issues. Your own tooth pain may be urgent if it features symptoms like:

• Sharp aches from biting down
• Aching teeth that look darker than adjacent ones
• Tooth sensitivity persisting for more than 30 seconds
• Intense or persistent pain over 24 hours
• Gum bumps near the affected tooth
• Signs of a dental infection (swelling, fever, fatigue, etc.)

How you should handle a toothache: Before an actual treatment, you can do several things to handle a toothache. One is to check the pained area for trapped debris; it may be causing your ache. If there’s no debris, you could also manage with over-the-counter pain relievers or salt water rinses. These methods would ease your ache until your dental visit.

How we treat toothaches: In general, how ourice treats toothaches depends on their cause. We’ll only be able toer care once we diagnose the underlying issue. After doing so, our team may suggest a tooth-colored filling, a root canal, or gum disease treatment. These and similar options should help your pain fade quickly.

Chipped Tooth

Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? Chipped teeth don’t often count as dental emergencies, but you should still get them treated quickly. Leaving them alone could cause the chips to get worse and expose your dentin or pulp. In that case, you’d endure severe oral damage and tooth decay.

How you should handle a chipped tooth: There are several steps to handling a chipped tooth. For starters, you should find the chipped piece and store it in a clean container. Next, rinse your mouth with warm water to remove harmful bacteria and shards. Lastly, you must avoid using the injured tooth to bite or chew.

How we treat chipped teeth: At our practice, treatment for chipped teeth can vary; the final procedure depends on your tooth’s damage. If the damage is light or small, we could fix the chip with dental bonding. We could also hide the chip with a dental veneer for a more cosmetics-focused approach.

Cracked Tooth

Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency? If the tooth’s crack is small, it’s okay to delay treatment a bit; your problem isn’t urgent. Otherwise, you should always get urgent care for a severe crack because it could cause a tooth infection. Such damage is also tricky to spot, as not all cracks are visible. You may have a hidden crack if your tooth aches for seemingly no reason.

How you should handle a cracked tooth: You should do several things to handle a cracked tooth. First and foremost, rinse your mouth with water; that’ll remove harmful microbes from the area. You could then use pain relievers or a cold compress to ease aches or swelling. As a final touch, avoid chewing with or near the tooth while you wait for care.

How we treat cracked teeth: We usually treat cracked teeth in one of three ways. The first option is cosmetic dental bonding, which applies resin to hide the crack from view. Method two is placing a dental crown on the tooth, hiding its crack and preventing further harm. The third and final option is a tooth extraction, which removes and replaces the cracked tooth with a prosthetic.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? Slight tooth sensitivity isn’t an emergency, but highly sensitive teeth are different. The latter problem stems from things like cracked teeth, deep cavities, and gum disease, which are major threats to your oral health. Given that fact, please see us immediately if your teeth have become very sensitive.

How you should handle very sensitive teeth: Before anything else, call ourice if you have very sensitive teeth. We can confirm whether you should manage them at home or see us for care. At the same time, our team can help you manage by suggesting lifestyle changes. These may include drinking warm water, avoiding certain foods, or taking over-the-counter pain relievers.

How we treat very sensitive teeth: We have several ways to treat very sensitive teeth; the right procedure will depend on your sensitivity’s cause. For example, our team could provide (or suggest) special oral products - desensitizing toothpaste, prescription mouthwash, etc. – if your case isn’t harsh. Alternatively, we may advise a root canal or gum disease treatment if an infection causes the sensitivity.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Yes – a knocked-out tooth is a very serious dental emergency. If a patient doesn’t address it quickly, that problem will lead to permanent tooth loss. You’d thus be wise to see a dentist for same-day care if (or when) it occurs. Without proper care, you’ll likely lose your tooth for good.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: In most cases, it’s rather simple to handle a knocked-out tooth at home. You should first find the tooth and pick it up by its crown; touching the roots would cause damage. From there, rinse the pearly white and store it in milk or saline solution. Another idea is to use a tooth preservation kit with the ADA seal of approval.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: If the tooth is still viable, our first move will be to try and re-implant it. It could then integrate back into place and improve your oral health. However, our team will suggest replacement options (dental bridges, implants, etc.) if it can’t be salvaged; prosthetics would help you avoid untreated tooth loss.

Lost Filling or Crown  

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? Since restorations aren’t meant to last forever, lost fillings or crowns aren’t often emergencies. Still, you should see your dentist about them quickly; going without a filling or crown raises your risk of a tooth infection.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: If you’re missing a crown, please locate it and bring the item to your appointment; we can reseal crowns when they’re in decent shape. As for dental fillings, just leave them alone; they can’t be resealed once they’ve fallen out.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns: If the restoration is mostly intact, we could recement it into place. That said, you may need a new filling or crown if the old one is lost or too damaged and weak.

Broken Denture

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Yes! After all, a broken denture can lead to everything from trouble chewing to soft tissue injuries. Plus, the damage will get worse if you continue wearing it, so it’s crucial that you reach out to our Plattsburgh dental team ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture As we mentioned above, it’s important that you get in touch with us to schedule an appointment. You should also keep your denture in its case instead of wearing it. That way, it doesn’t break further between now and your visit.

How We Treat Broken Dentures Sometimes, a broken denture can be repaired at ourice. Other times, our only option is to have a new one made. This may be a bit disappointing initially, but it’s a great opportunity to discuss upgrading your dentures with dental implants!

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Whether your tooth is slightly loose or it feels like it’s about to fall out, you should call us ASAP. The only exception is if you’re also experiencing potentially life-threatening symptoms, like difficulty breathing. In that case, you should call 911 or head to the ER.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth It’s important that you don’t wiggle the tooth with your tongue, touch the tooth with your finger, or do anything else that could make the situation worse, like chewing on that side of your mouth. Prioritize getting to ourice right away for the necessary care.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth Our goal is to save your tooth, which is why we recommend scheduling an appointment when you first notice that it’s loose. If that’s not an option, then we will numb your mouth, extract the tooth, and put a dental implant in its place.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Soft tissue injuries can be scary because there is often a lot of blood. The good news is that, most of the time, they can quickly be handled in just a few steps at home.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue We recommend rinsing your mouth with clean water to remove debris from the area. Then, when you can clearly see the cut, use a damp washcloth to apply pressure. The bleeding should stop within a couple of minutes, and you can use a cold compress to alleviate lingering puffiness after that.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue Most of the time, soft tissue injuries, like a cut on your tongue, are either minor enough that they can be handled at home, or they warrant a visit to the ER. That said, if you’re ever unsure what to do, you can always give our Plattsburgh dental team a call!

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? If your jaw pain progresses to the point where it’s negatively impacting your day-to-day life by making it difficult to eat, sleep, and concentrate, then you shouldn’t hesitate to schedule an exam with us.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain Try using a cold compress in 10-minute intervals, and make sure to avoid all crunchy and sticky foods. If that doesn’t work, then take OTC pain medication as well.

How We Treat Jaw Pain Chronic jaw pain is often the result of TMJ dysfunction, impacted wisdom teeth, or chronic teeth grinding. That’s why we need to conduct an emergency exam; we need to know the root of the problem before we can determine the best solution.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Not only does food stuck between your teeth lead to discomfort, it also increases your risk of cavities. That’s why we recommend taking action right away. More specifically, rinsing with warm saltwater and flossing gently between your teeth.