Dental Emergencies, Accidents & Trauma
The most important thing to remember about a dental emergency is that TIME is crucial. Knowing what to do when an accident happens can make all the difference between saving or losing a tooth. If you have experienced a dental emergency and are a local patient on record, call our office at 978.449.9919, to schedule an emergency visit.
If you are experiencing any of the following, call 911 or go to the hospital immediately:
- Profuse bleeding
- Broken Jaw/bones
- Trauma to the head
- Tooth knocked out (especially with injury)
Minor Dental Trauma / Accidents
Tooth Trauma/ Loose Tooth
If you have experienced trauma to your jaw, including being hit by an object, call us immediately for an exam. If a tooth has been knocked “loose”, it is especially important that you call us right away. Sometimes a tooth can abscess as the result of trauma and/or turn dark. This could happen soon after the trauma or even years later.
Broken/Chipped/Cracked Tooth
If a portion of your tooth has been chipped off, be sure to remove the piece from your mouth. Then gently rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area and call us immediately. If the broken tooth is simply chipped or cracked, it may be saved by placement of a filling or a crown. In severe cases, where the tooth has broken down to the nerve, the tooth may need root canal therapy or it may need to be extracted.
Toothache
If your tooth feels like it’s aching from within, it could be the result of decay or it could be an abscess. Temporary relief may be had by applying oil of cloves (on a sterile gauze pad) to the area. Clove oil has very effective anti-bacterial properties and is an excellent numbing agent. Call your dentist and describe your symptoms to determine whether or not you need to schedule an appointment.
