If you have a dental emergency, please call Brilliant Smiles Family Dentistry at 231-389-6388. Our dental office provides emergency dentistry services for patients in Cadillac, MI, with sudden or severe dental problems. Emergency dental care can help prevent future dental problems.
If you have physical and dental injuries, please visit an emergency room. We can provide you with dental care after you receive medical care. Emergency dentistry is one of the general dental services we provide to the public.
Emergency Dentistry Services in Cadillac, MI
Learn what to do if you have a dental emergency and what treatments we may recommend for these common problems:
Knocked-Out Tooth
If you have just knocked out a tooth, try to locate the tooth and place it back in its socket while waiting to see your dentist. First, rinse the mouth of any blood or other debris. Then, gently place the rinsed tooth back in the socket. Gently bite down.
You can also place a cold cloth or compress on the cheek near the injury. This will keep down swelling.
If you cannot place the tooth back in its socket, hold the dislocated tooth by the crown – not the root. Next, put it in a container of saline or saliva. Please keep it in the solution until you arrive at the emergency room or dentist’s office. We can replace a permanent tooth with a secure dental implant.
Broken Tooth
For a broken tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water first. Then, apply a cold pack or compress on the outside of your cheek on the same side as your injured tooth. Ibuprofen can help keep down swelling. You can bring the broken piece of your tooth to our office. We may glue the fragment back on your tooth.
If you have a small tooth chip and the pulp within the tooth is not damaged, we can sand or restore the tooth. We will recommend dental bonding for small breaks in the enamel. Dental crowns can cover more extensive tooth fractures.
Tooth Pain
There are many possible causes of toothaches and tooth pain, including a dental abscess, dental injury, or gum disease. At home before your appointment, take ibuprofen. You can reduce swelling by applying a cold pack to your cheek on the side of the affected tooth or teeth.
We will examine your smile and recommend the proper treatment for your needs. Our team can refer you to an oral surgeon for root canal therapy or surgical gum treatments.
Broken or Lost Restorations
Please contact our office if you have broken or lost a dental crown, denture, or bridge. Do not attempt to place a broken restoration back in your mouth. You can damage your teeth and gums. If you can locate your restoration, you can bring it to our office. We can provide you with a temporary restoration while we plan your permanent replacement.
Excessive Bleeding
If you continue to experience bleeding after a dental treatment, like a tooth extraction, please get in touch with our office. You should not experience bleeding for longer than 24 hours after your extraction.
Post-extraction bleeding (PEB), or bleeding that does not create a clot, is abnormal. Place pressure on the extraction site with gauze or a clean cloth and bite down for 45 minutes to an hour. If the bleeding does not stop after a day or worsens, contact our office for treatment.
How to Prevent Emergency Dental Care in Cadillac, MD
Sometimes, you can’t stop a sudden dental emergency. However, at other times, you can prevent emergencies like broken, damaged, or lost teeth:
- Wear a Mouthguard: If you play contact sports like soccer, lacrosse, or basketball, wear a mouthguard. A custom-made mouthguard protects your teeth and gums from damage. In addition, professional sports mouthguards can prevent tooth chips, fractures, and loss. Mouthguards can also prevent damage to braces and restorations.
- Don’t Use Teeth as Tools: You can break a tooth using your teeth to open objects. Instead, find a pair of scissors or a box cutter. Additionally, don’t bite on ice or other hard objects that can damage your teeth.
- Brush and Floss: An excellent oral hygiene routine can prevent gum disease and tooth decay. Floss before you brush; flossing between each tooth will remove food debris. Then, brush for two minutes twice a day.
We recommend that you visit our office every six months. We can examine your teeth, gums, and jaw at regular appointments for oral health issues. Our team can also treat developing dental problems. Regular dental visits can prevent minor dental problems from worsening over time. They can also prevent dental emergencies due to untreated dental issues.
Emergency Dentistry FAQs
Dental emergencies can happen to anyone. Read the answers to these commonly asked questions to learn more.
How do I respond to a dental emergency?
While it may seem hard, the most important thing is to try and remain calm. If there’s bleeding, get that under control first. Try to recover any pieces of a broken restoration or tooth to bring to the office. Call our office as soon as possible so that we can see you quickly. Over-the-counter pain medications and icing with a cold compress can keep you comfortable until we can see you.
What’s the most common dental emergency?
Tooth pain is the most common issue we see. So many different things can cause tooth pain, and it’s difficult to know what it is if you aren’t trained in dentistry. Patients come to us to determine the cause of their pain and address it promptly. Pain is never normal, so you must get it checked out.
When should I visit the ER for a dental emergency?
You should rarely go to the ER for dental concerns. Most need to be treated by a certified dentist, which emergency rooms often don’t have. If you have a physical injury to the soft tissue in your mouth, that can be treated by a standard doctor. A cut on the inside of your cheek can get stitches at the ER. But they can’t do anything with a permanent tooth knocked out of your mouth.
What isn’t a dental emergency?
Sometimes, you will require dental treatment but do not have an emergency. It’s okay to wait to schedule an appointment during business hours for these problems. Non-emergencies can include:
- Bleeding gums after brushing and flossing
- Dull toothache
- Minor chip in a tooth
- Food stuck between teeth
Loose or lost baby teeth are not emergencies. If your child has a loose tooth, try getting the child to bite down gently on an apple or piece of caramel. In some cases, the tooth will easily separate from the gums. We can also perform a tooth extraction to help remove the tooth.
Why do I need to respond to a dental emergency quickly?
Depending on the issue, avoiding an emergency dentist may risk your oral health and teeth. If you lose an adult tooth, you have a limited time frame for salvaging it. Without getting to the dentist promptly, you can lose that tooth permanently. Then, you must pay for replacement options or deal with the drawbacks when you lose the tooth root.
Can a dental emergency be life-threatening?
It can. Sometimes, a gum or mouth injury can bleed profusely, leading to excessive blood loss. Abscesses and infections in the jawbone or other mouth areas can also be life-threatening if they get too serious. When infections get bad enough, they enter the bloodstream and can cause problems throughout the body. It can lead to sepsis, one of the most serious health conditions.
Contact For Emergency Dentistry Treatment in Cadillac, MI
Have you lost a permanent tooth? Does tooth pain persist no matter what you do? If you need emergency dentistry treatment in Cadillac, MD, please call 231-389-6388. You can request a dental appointment on our website if you require dental care but do not have a dental emergency.