Tooth pain could indicate a very deep cavity or an infected tooth, which are both dental emergencies, and may require root canal therapy.
Dr. Naji firmly believes that a stunning smile starts with preventive care, and takes pride in ensuring her patients are not only delighted with the outcomes of the prescribed treatment plan, but that they’re also empowered with the educational tools to help maintain their smiles for a lifetime.
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You can take ibuprofen, naproxen, or a similar over-the-counter painkiller to help with your pain and discomfort. This may provide you with some relief before your visit.
Particularly for tooth pain or oral injuries, icing the area can help numb it and reduce swelling. Ice the area for no more than 10 minutes at a time to avoid damaging the tissue.
If you have some handy, you can use Orajel or a similar topical anesthetic to numb the area. This is a good option for a toothache.
All the above steps will only provide temporary relief. To get help, you need to see a Mission Viejo dentist like Dr. Naji. Unless you get help right away, it’s likely that your condition will only get worse.
At Smile Dental Boutique, our team is always here for you. We offer same-day emergency dentistry for all of our patients. If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, you can give us a call at (949) 273-1900. Discuss your situation, and our team will fit you in as soon as possible.
We offer after-hours care, too. After-hours emergency calls will be transferred to Dr. Naji, and she can work with you to provide the care you need, whenever you need it. That’s why we also offer weekend appointments. We know that dental pain can’t always wait until Monday, so we often see emergency patients on Saturday and Sunday, upon request.
The simplest answer is that the ER is not equipped to handle dental emergencies. Most dental emergencies aren’t life-threatening, and the emergency room is meant for life-threatening emergencies. Usually, you’ll be turned away if you try to go to the ER with a dental emergency. They typically don’t even have dentists available to handle dental emergencies.
Even if they do have a dentist on-staff, though, you’ll end up paying a lot more money for your treatment. ER fees are extremely high, and your insurance may not cover all of these costs. As long as your issue is not life-threatening, it’s best to see an emergency dentist in Mission Viejo, like Dr. Naji.
Of course, use your best judgment. If you truly believe your life is at risk or that you have a very serious issue like a broken jaw, you should go to the ER. In most cases, though, it’s better to come and visit the team at Smile Dental Boutique.
A dental emergency is any situation where you sustain injury, damage, decay, or pain that requires immediate dental treatment to prevent the problem from worsening and to relieve your discomfort.
This can include severe tooth pain, signs of a tooth infection like swelling and an abscess, a knocked-out tooth, dental trauma that results in damaged, cracked, or loose teeth, and uncontrollable bleeding.
These are just some examples of dental emergencies. If you’re not sure if your problem qualifies as a dental emergency, ask yourself if it can wait for a normal appointment. If it can, then it’s likely not an emergency.
Don’t hesitate to call us at (949) 273-1900 and we can help you deal with the situation until you can get to the Mission Viejo dentist and we can let you know if your symptoms qualify as a dental emergency.
If you or your child has a knocked-out tooth, don’t panic. This is a common dental emergency but it is time sensitive so you have the best chances of reattaching the tooth if you follow these instructions as soon as possible.
Once an hour has passed, the likelihood of being able to save the tooth greatly diminishes. If you’ve lost the tooth or left it somewhere on the ground, you need to find it and rinse it under some water. Don’t hold the tooth by the root, only hold it by the crown.
After rinsing it off, see if you can reattach it by firmly pushing it back into the socket. It can be helpful to try to bite down as you do this. If you aren’t able to reattach it, you will need to keep it moist by storing it in a container of either milk or your own saliva.
Bring this with you to the dentist in Mission Viejo and call us right away to make an emergency appointment. If you can get here within 30 minutes of the tooth being knocked out, you have the best chance of saving the tooth. We can splint the tooth to hold it in place but if it can’t be saved, you may need to replace the tooth.
If your tooth is broken, you should first make sure that you aren’t bleeding and don’t have any sharp fragments in your mouth that will cut you. Rinse your mouth with warm water to remove any fragments of your tooth that could be left behind.
If you can find the broken part of your tooth, you can store it in milk or saliva and bring it to the dentist with you and we may be able to attach it. If not, we can just rebuild the rest of the tooth with composite resin.
The tooth may need to be protected with a dental crown if it’s located in the back of the mouth. If you’re in pain, take anti-inflammatory pain medication. Call us right away so we can repair the tooth and ensure that you haven’t caused any damage to your tooth’s pulp which could require root canal therapy.
Pain can be relieved with anti-inflammatory pain medication and rinsing your mouth with a lukewarm saltwater solution. Swelling can be managed by keeping your head elevated and applying a cold compress to the area for 15 minutes on and off. Don’t try to manage your pain by yourself. Contact us as soon as possible to make an appointment.
