Emergency Dentistry – Lansing, MI

Common Dental Emergencies

There are several categories that dental emergencies can fall under, although most are either caused by poor dental hygiene or a sudden accident. When you speak to our team over the phone, please tell us what happened as well as what symptoms you’re experiencing in as much detail as possible; the more we know, the better advice we can give you for dealing with the issue. Some general tips for dealing with emergencies are listed below.

Toothaches

Floss around the tooth and rinse with salt water to see if anything is dislodged. If not, call our dental office immediately; we might need to perform root canal therapy to treat an infection. You can take a painkiller, but avoid placing it directly against the gum tissue or it might cause a burn.

Chipped/Broken Tooth

Take note of the extent of the damage; some chips and cracks are merely cosmetic problems while in other cases the whole tooth might be compromised and need to be extracted. Until your appointment, keep the tooth safe by not chewing with that side of your mouth. You can hold an ice pack over the gums to reduce any swelling that occurs.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Remain calm and find the tooth immediately. Pick it up by the crown while not touching the root. Rinse it off under warm water before attempting to place it back in its socket; if it won’t fit, store it in your cheek or in a glass of milk. You need to get to our dental office quickly – ideally in less than an hour – to give yourself the best chance of saving the tooth.

Lost Filling/Crown

Locate the restoration and bring it with you to your appointment if you can. Using clove oil can help soothe a sensitive tooth, and you can use dental cement to protect it until a permanent solution is found. Remember that the tooth is likely in a weakened state, so stick to soft foods if you need to eat before you arrive at our dental office.

Preventing Dental Emergencies

You can’t completely eliminate the possibility of a dental emergency, but you can significantly improve your odds by:

• Brushing at least twice a day to remove harmful substances and bacteria from your teeth.
• Flossing on a daily basis to clean the spaces that a toothbrush can’t reach.
• Breaking bad habits like crunching ice or biting fingernails.
• Staying away from hard or crunchy foods that could chip away or wear down your enamel.
• Wearing a mouthguard when playing any kind of sports.

Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies

Because of the pain and sense of urgency that usually accompanies a dental emergency, you might not start thinking about the cost until after you’ve already arrived at our dental office. Our primary concern will always be to find the quickest and most effective way to stop your discomfort and treat the underlying problem. We’ll make sure that you understand the cost of the necessary treatment and will help you file insurance claims or explore other methods of financing your care.

TMJ/TMD Therapy

You may not realize that your constant jaw pain counts as a dental emergency. The fact is that oftentimes a problem with the teeth can lead to issues with the joints that attach your lower jaw to the rest of your skull. If you’re suffering from a TMJ disorder, our specialists can use their expertise to diagnose the problem and get to the root of your pain. Once you know for sure that there is a problem with your TMJ, you can start looking for treatment.