When you suffer a dental emergency, the expert team at C & R Dental Care is ready to help. With same-day appointments, they can address any emergency needs you may encounter in the Centreville, Virginia, and Columbia, Maryland, areas. Whether it’s a knocked-out tooth or bitten tongue, call one of the three offices or use the online booking agent to make the next available appointment.
A dental emergency is any incident that can’t wait until the next day for care. Examples include:
Brush any visible dirt off the knocked-out tooth, but be careful to keep the root intact. Keep it in a moist place – ideally hold it back in its socket or between your cheek and gum. Alternatively, place it in a cup of milk until you arrive at the office.
A minor chip to a tooth can usually wait until the next day for care, but it’s better to be safe and call the office. Large chips that cause pain, swelling, or bleeding require immediate attention. Cracked teeth can also cause extreme pain and leave your teeth vulnerable to bacteria. If you crack a tooth, use a cold compress to keep swelling down. Rinse your mouth with warm water and get to the office as soon as possible.
An abscess happens when bacteria infiltrate the root of a tooth or the space between the teeth and gums. An abscess can lead to tissue damage and harm surrounding teeth. If left untreated, the infection causing the abscess can spread to other parts of the body.
An abscess may appear as a pimple-like swelling on your gum that’s painful to the touch and causes swelling. Rinse your mouth with a warm saltwater solution several times per day to keep the site clean and draw pus toward the surface.
Get to the office of C & R Dental Care as soon as you can. If you have the crown, bring it with you. They can clean the area and cement it back on relatively quickly. A missing filling also needs immediate attention. Until you can get into the office, fill the space with a bit of sugar-free gum – but avoid sugared gum as it will sting and attract bacteria.
