Dental Emergencies In Venice, Florida
Your dental professionals understand that emergencies can and will happen. That’s why we have a dental expert on call 24/7 that you can reach in case of an emergency. During the hours that our Venice, FL, office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., we take emergency calls on the office number of 941-484-3885. After hours, call the same number and follow the instructions on how to reach one of us. We suggest you save this number in your phone now and post it with your other emergency numbers for quick access when you need it.
Dental emergencies can be serious and it is important that you contact a medical professional if you are concerned. Dental problems can increase the risk of permanent damage as well as the need for more extensive and expensive treatment later on. To help all of our Venice, FL, patients know how to handle some of the most common emergencies that our office has seen, we’ve compiled this list, along with some advice on how to best handle them.
Dental Emergencies And What To Do
If you have any of the following emergencies happen, it’s important to call our Venice, Florida dentist office first to get instructions on how to proceed. But if the office is closed, there may be some remedies you can perform at home until you can come into the office. If your dental problem is severe, we encourage you to go to the nearest emergency room. Here's a quick summary of what to do for some common dental problems.
Toothaches
You may occasionally experience a toothache and it can be caused by a variety of things, including pain from dental work you may have had like a root canal or filling. To help alleviate the pain until you can visit our Venice office, take these steps:
- Floss your teeth to dislodge any potential food particles
- Rinse your mouth with warm water
- Apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth or cheek
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever according to the directions, as needed
NOTE: If you have a fever, weakness or swelling that you think is associated with your toothache, call our office immediately.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Quick action may preserve your tooth! Pick up the knocked out tooth by the crown, rinse off the root carefully with water (don’t scrub or remove anything attached!) If possible, gently insert and hold the tooth back in its place, facing the correct way. If it’s not possible, drop the tooth in a container of milk (or salt water if you don’t have milk.) Take your tooth and get to our office as quickly as possible! Minutes count as dental experts believe the best chance of reattaching the tooth happen within the first hour!
Cracked Or Chipped Tooth
These may be in various states of fracture. If pieces of your tooth or dental implant have fallen off, rinse and save them in a plastic bag. If there is bleeding, use gauze to put pressure and stop the bleeding. Rinse with warm water. Use a cold compress if needed for swelling. Call our Venice, FL, dental office to make an appointment as quickly as possible.
Abscessed Tooth
A dental abscess is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition in which a pocket of pus in the tooth has led to an infection that could possibly spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. Abscesses may start as a painful, pimple-like swelling on your gum. Fever, sensitivity to hot and cold, sore lymph nodes on your neck, and swelling in your face can all accompany an abscessed tooth. Before you can see the dentist, rinse your mouth with mild salt water several times to reduce the pain and draw the pus to the surface. Call our office if you think you may have an abscessed tooth.
Oral Soft-Tissue Injuries
There may be occasions when you have injuries to your cheek, lip, tongue or gums. When this occurs, first stop the bleeding by applying pressure with gauze. Then, rinse with salt-water and use a cold compress on the outside of your mouth to alleviate pain and swelling. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, go to the emergency room immediately.
Lost Filling Or Broken Crown
There are a few temporary tricks you can use to fill the empty space left by a filling that falls out or crown breaks. For missing fillings, consider filling the cavity with a piece of sugar-free gum or use an over-the-counter cement. For crowns, you can try slipping the crown back on using dental cement or denture adhesive. For pain, try swabbing the tooth with clove oil, which can be found at your local drug or grocery store. Either way, bring any loose parts with you and visit our Venice, FL, office right away.
When Is An Emergency An Emergency?
When you or a loved one is in pain, it is sometimes hard to know when you should make a trip to your Venice area emergency room or wait until you can come into the office. Here are a few of questions you can ask yourself to help you make the best decision:
- Are you in severe pain?
- Are you bleeding from the mouth and it is not stopping?
- Have you lost a tooth?
- Do you have loose teeth? A loose tooth, even without pain, is a serious problem.
- Do you have an abscess or infection?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you could be having a dental emergency. Call our office at 941-484-3885 immediately and tell us what happened. Our dentist on-call will give you instructions on what to do next. If you don’t feel like you have the time to call, always go directly to your nearest emergency room.
Avoid Potential Emergencies With Your Venice, FL, Dentist
The best way to prevent dental emergencies is to stay proactive in your oral hygiene and have routine check-ups with your friendly dentists at our office. During these visits, we will check for loose fillings and crowns as well as signs of decay, infection, and gum disease. When emergencies do happen, we are here to help provide the best possible outcomes. If you’re ready for a checkup, give us a call at 941-484-3885 and make your appointment today. Our Venice, Florida dentist office staff is here to help you if you have any dental emergencies.