Emergency Dentist Nocatee

Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? The answer depends largely on the severity of your symptoms. For example, if your toothache is minor, scheduling an appointment with us before the end of the week should suffice. If, on the other hand, you’re in extreme pain, you should visit us ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Taking OTC pain medication, rinsing periodically with warm saltwater, and avoiding acidic, crunchy, and sugary foods are great first steps. The most important one, however, is scheduling an appointment with us so we can pinpoint the root of the problem and address it.

How We Treat Toothaches Oftentimes, a tooth-colored filling, a dental crown, or root canal treatment is the answer. The good news is that we offer CEREC dental crowns at our Nocatee dental office, which allows us to restore the look, health, and function of your tooth the same day.

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Usually, no. However, there are some exceptions. If the chip is substantial, you’re in pain, or you’re experiencing any other abnormal symptoms, like persistent sensitivity, then you should absolutely schedule an emergency appointment with us.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth To prevent the tooth from breaking further, we recommend sticking to extremely soft foods, like plain yogurt, and not chewing on that side of your mouth. Taking OTC pain medication, avoiding acidic foods, and drinking room-temperature water will also help.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Veneers and cosmetic dental bonding are two common solutions. If one of your molars was chipped, then we may recommend a dental crown instead. Ultimately, we need to conduct an oral exam to determine what treatment options are available (and help you decide which one is best for you).

LEARN MORE ABOUT CEREC SAME-DAY DENTAL CROWNS

Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Without a doubt, a cracked tooth is a dental emergency. That’s why we recommend contacting us right away. We need to assess the damage, determine the best treatment option, and intervene with the necessary care before the crack gets larger or an infection develops.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth First, call us to schedule an emergency appointment. Second, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth or touching the tooth with your finger. Third, rinse periodically with clean, room-temperature water to help prevent debris from collecting on the tooth.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Cracked teeth can often be restored with dental crowns. If that’s the case for you, then you won’t have to deal with temporary restorations or multiple appointments because we offer same-day restorations. Of course, if we can’t save your tooth, then we will need to extract it and discuss if a dental bridge, denture, or dental implant is best for you.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? You do need to see an emergency dentist in Nocatee if you are dealing with sensitive teeth. Typically, it means there is a more serious underlying issue – one that requires professional assistance to fix.

How you should handle very sensitive teeth: Taking care of sensitive teeth at home requires that you do not eat or drink anything hot or cold, as this can cause further irritation and discomfort. Instead, opt for lukewarm items to consume. Also, do not attempt to chew on the side of your mouth that contains the sensitive teeth. When brushing, try to use a desensitizing toothpaste to help minimize the uncomfortable sensation.

How we treat very sensitive teeth: We must first identify what is causing you to have sensitive teeth. This will require taking digital images of your mouth and performing a visual examination. It could be that you are brushing too aggressively, whitening your teeth excessively, or experiencing a cavity, cracked tooth, gum recession, or a serious infection. No matter the problem, we will recommend an appropriate form of treatment, such as prescription mouthwash, fluoride treatment, gum disease treatment, root canal treatment, or tooth extraction.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is my knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Yes, a lost tooth in Nocatee should be treated right away, as time is of the essence when trying to save a knocked-out tooth. Waiting too long can cause it to no longer be viable.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: The first step is to rinse out your mouth and remove any debris. Retrieve the tooth and hold it only by the crown. Touching the roots can damage it. If possible, try to reinsert it into the vacant socket and gently bite down to hold it in place until you can reach our dental office. If you are unsuccessful, place the tooth in a small container of milk or saliva to keep it moist.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: When reaching our Palm Leaf Dental office, we will immediately escort you to a treatment room and look at the knocked-out tooth. If we see you within one hour of the incident, we may be able to use a splint to hold the tooth in place and allow it to reintegrate over time. However, if the tooth is badly damaged or too much time has passed, we will discard the tooth and begin discussing ways to replace it. This may include a dental bridge, partial denture, or dental implant depending on your budget and needs.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? When faced with a lost dental crown in Nocatee or filling, you need to call our office and schedule an emergency appointment. Although it may not be necessary for you to come on the same day, we will want to see you within 2-3 days to avoid putting your tooth at further risk.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: While waiting to see a member of our team, you can avoid chewing or biting down on the side of your mouth with the lost crown or filling. You should also be careful when brushing and cleaning your teeth so as not to irritate the vulnerable area. If you would like, you can purchase dental cement and try to temporarily reattach your crown; however, this is not necessary if you are not comfortable doing it.

How we treat a lost filling or crown: There are two ways to treat a lost filling or crown: a new tooth-colored filling or a metal-free dental crown. We may be able to reattach the existing restoration if it’s not badly damaged; however, if this is not the case, it will need to be replaced.

Broken Dentures  

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Whether there is a small crack in your denture or it has split down the middle, we recommend giving us a call. From there, we can determine if an emergency visit is necessary and, if it isn’t, let you know what to do until your appointment.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture We recommend calling us first so we can get an appointment on the calendar as soon as possible. Outside of that, just put your denture somewhere safe, like a small container, to protect it from further harm and stick to soft foods, like plain yogurt.

How We Treat Broken Dentures If your denture is only mildly damaged, we will likely be able to repair it at our office. If it is damaged beyond repair, however, we will need to begin the process of having a new traditional or implant denture made.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Loose Permanent Tooth  

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, especially if it feels like it’s on the brink of falling out. So, don’t hesitate to call us ASAP. The sooner you do, the sooner we can schedule an emergency exam and potentially save your tooth!

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth Basically, you need to avoid doing anything that has the potential to loosen your tooth further, like wiggling it with your tongue or eating something crunchy. Outside of that, just do your best to get to our office ASAP.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth Oftentimes, we can use a dental splint to help a tooth heal back in position. If that’s not an option, then we will likely need to extract the tooth and replace it with a dental bridge or implant.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue  

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Although soft tissue injuries like these usually don’t require emergency care, there are some exceptions. For example, if the cut is bleeding uncontrollably, then you should call 911 or head to the ER.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue Use clean, cool water to rinse your mouth thoroughly. Then, use a damp, clean washcloth to apply pressure to the area (if you have gauze, you can use that too). Finally, place a cold compress against the area – after the bleeding has stopped – to alleviate inflammation.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue If you sustain a soft tissue injury, you’re more than welcome to call us so we can assist you over the phone. If the bleeding is severe, then we will recommend calling 911 or heading to the nearest ER for medical attention.

Jaw Pain  

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? Jaw pain doesn’t always warrant an emergency visit, no. That said, you’re more than welcome to give us a call if you’re experiencing significant discomfort, trouble chewing properly, and the like.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain Using a cold compress and taking OTC pain medication as directed should help immensely in the short-term. For long-term relief, schedule an appointment with us so we can determine what the root of the problem is.

How We Treat Jaw Pain First, we need to conduct a comprehensive oral exam to determine what’s causing your jaw pain. Oftentimes, it’s due to one of three things: impacted wisdom teeth, chronic jaw pain, or TMJ dysfunction.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TMJ TREATMENT

Something Stuck Between the Teeth  

If you have something lodged between your teeth, don’t use a toothpick or anything else sharp – this can push the debris even further into position. Instead, rinse with warm saltwater and then use some floss to clean between your teeth. If that doesn’t work, call our Nocatee dental team.