Emergency Dentistry – Lincoln, NE

Toothaches

Is my toothache a dental emergency?

There are many reasons as to why you’re experiencing tooth pain. It could be the result of something relatively minor, or you could be facing a more serious problem that needs to be addressed by a professional right away. If you have a toothache that is sharp, throbbing, or accompanied by a pimple-like bump on the gums, you should schedule an appointment with us right away.

How you should handle a toothache:

For a toothache, you should start by rinsing your mouth with water and flossing around the aching tooth. You may want to swish around some salt water to disinfect the area and reduce swelling. To numb any soreness, try using an over-the-counter pain reliever as directed and apply a cold compress. Give us a call to schedule your urgent visit.

How we treat toothaches:

Before we can treat your toothache, we need to determine why you are experiencing pain. Oftentimes, toothaches can be resolved with a filling or dental crown. In other scenarios, gum disease therapy, root canal therapy, or an extraction could be necessary. We will determine the best way to treat your troublesome tooth when you pay us a visit.

Chipped Tooth

Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency?  

Chipped teeth aren’t usually an urgent dental emergency. However, you should have them looked at within a few days if possible. Even if the chip is small and your tooth doesn’t hurt, you could still experience additional damage if you don’t get treatment.

How you should handle a chipped tooth:

Rinse your mouth with water. Collect larger pieces of your tooth if you can and bring them to the practice with you. Until then, avoid chewing on the side of your mouth with the chipped tooth. If your tooth is sharp or jagged, apply some orthodontic wax so you don’t accidentally cut your lip or cheek. You can find this in the dental section of your local drugstore.

How we treat chipped teeth:

Chipped teeth can often be repaired with dental bonding in a single appointment. However, if the chip is large or on a very visible tooth, you may want to opt for a longer-lasting cosmetic option, like a veneer or dental crown.

Cracked Tooth

Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency?

Cracked teeth can be very painful. They also leave your smile vulnerable to bacteria. In some instances, it can be difficult to see cracks in your teeth. If you notice increased sensitivity or discomfort after biting down on something hard or taking a blow to the face, you may have cracked one or more of your teeth. You should seek treatment as soon as possible.

How you should handle a cracked tooth:

You should begin by rinsing your mouth with water. This will help to keep the area clean until you can see a dentist. Next, give us a call to schedule your emergency visit. If you notice any inflammation or are experiencing any discomfort, this can be lessened with an over-the-counter pain reliever and cold compress.

How we treat cracked teeth:

The treatment for cracked teeth depends on how badly the teeth are cracked. If your tooth has a minor crack, we may be able to resolve it with dental bonding. For deeper ones, a dental crown or tooth extraction may be needed.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Dental sensitivity has a variety of causes such as enamel erosion or the roots being too exposed. While mild sensitivity is usually not an urgent issue, severe cases that result in pain, last for several days, or only impact one or two teeth may be dental emergencies. These symptoms may mean that the problem results from injury or infection.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: Give our office a call to explain the situation. We’ll offer a few first-aid tips to reduce your discomfort and schedule you for an appointment. Until you come in to see us, drink lukewarm water and avoid foods that are hot, cold, spicy, sweet, or acidic. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever if necessary.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: We will recommend an appropriate treatment based on the cause of your dental sensitivity. If the enamel is weakened, we may be able to address it by recommending desensitizing toothpaste, prescribing special mouthwash, or administering a fluoride treatment. If the problem results from tooth decay or gum infection, treating it may require gum disease treatment, a root canal, or antibiotics.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? It’s important to act quickly to save a dislodged tooth since its chances of being reimplanted start to fall after about thirty minutes. Call our office as soon as possible to schedule an emergency appointment. The sooner we can tend to the problem, the more likely it is that the tooth can be saved.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: Locate and secure the tooth by handling it only by the crown portion. Never touch the root, as this can damage the attached tissues. Gently swish the tooth in lukewarm water to clean it and transport it in a cup of milk or a clean container with some saliva. If you have one, you can use an ADA-approved tooth preservation kit.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: If the tooth is still in savable condition when it gets to us, we may be able to reimplant it in the gum where it will gradually reintegrate with the surrounding bone and soft tissue. However, a tooth that has been outside of the mouth too long or sustained severe damage may need to be replaced.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? While dental crowns and fillings are designed to be durable and long-lasting, they are not invincible and can break down or fall out completely. While this is not always a dental emergency, it’s still important to have the issue treated to prevent new dental infections.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: Try to find and secure the restoration so you can bring it to our office. While you may be able to temporarily fix a crown back in place with dental cement, we don’t condone attempting to do the same with a filling.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: If your filling or crown is still in good shape and relatively new, we may be able to cement it back in place. Otherwise, we may need to replace it with a new restoration.

Broken Denture

Is my broken denture a dental emergency? Yes, a broken denture is a dental emergency. Continuing to wear the damaged prosthetic can put your teeth and gums at risk of harm as well as your jaw.  

How you should handle a broken denture: You are better off waiting to see your emergency dentist before trying to reinsert your broken denture. This can further damage any existing healthy teeth as well as your gums and other soft oral tissues.

How we treat broken dentures: The severity of the damage will ultimately determine the type of treatment we provide. If it’s fully broken, we’ll need to replace it with a new denture or discuss the option of transitioning to dental implants or a dental bridge. If the damage is minor, we may be able to use composite resin to fill in a small crack or chip.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a loose permanent tooth a dental emergency? Yes, you should not wait to see your emergency dentist for a loose permanent tooth. Depending on the cause, we may suggest one of many treatment options. While this can happen for many reasons (i.e., gum disease, facial trauma, extreme decay, etc.), we’ll want to try and save it if we can.

How you should handle loose permanent teeth: It’s best to avoid touching or prodding the tooth with your tongue or finger. Also, you should avoid chewing on that side of your mouth, especially anything hard, crunchy, or sticky. This can cause the tooth to fall out completely. If it hurts for any reason, you can take an OTC pain reliever as well.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: Our team will work quickly to get you to a treatment room so that we can examine your loose permanent tooth. Since this is something that should not happen, we need to identify the underlying cause. If it’s beyond saving for any reason, we’ll suggest tooth extraction before discussing ways to replace the missing tooth. If it’s periodontal disease that is causing one or more teeth to become loose, we’ll need to administer treatment before recommending a potential bone graft.   

Learn More About Dental Bridges

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Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? It’s true that a soft tissue injury can bleed a lot; however, in most cases, they’re not considered a dental emergency. Most of these situations occur while playing sports, which is why a custom mouthguard can be essential. When it comes to the injury, though, it can often be treated at home.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: At-home treatment for lacerated soft oral tissue usually requires gently rinsing your mouth to flush out any bacteria or debris. You’ll then apply pressure with a clean washcloth or gauze to stop the bleeding. Once you’ve accomplished this, you can use a cold compress to minimize any swelling as well as numb any pain.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: When arriving at our office for treatment, we will examine the lacerated tissue and determine if stitches are required. If so, we’ll clean it up and help you resume normal activity as soon as possible. If you find, though, that the bleeding you’re experiencing is not subsiding after 10 minutes, go to your local ER first.

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Yes, jaw pain can be a dental emergency. The longer you wait to seek help, the greater the chances of worsening symptoms that can affect your daily life. It can also lead to serious oral health problems that result in costlier and timelier procedures.

How you should handle jaw pain: While at home, you’ll want to make sure that you follow the instructions we provide you over the phone. These may include taking an OTC pain reliever as well as using a cold compress to reduce swelling and discomfort. If your jaw is broken or fractured, do not call our office first. Instead, go to your local ER for immediate assistance. Afterward, we will be happy to help.

How we treat jaw pain: Depending on the underlying cause of your jaw pain, we will recommend one or more treatment options. If teeth grinding (bruxism) is the problem, we can create a customized mouthguard to minimize damage caused to the enamel by grinding and clenching. If wisdom teeth impaction is the cause, we will suggest you have them removed. Also, if more extensive jaw therapy is required, we can help you get the care you need to avoid long-term complications.

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Something Stuck Between the Teeth

You should never use sharp-edged objects to dislodge something that is between your teeth. Tweezers, toothpicks, forks, or other similar items can lacerate gum tissues or damage a tooth. However, with a warm rinse and dental floss, you should have no problem removing the object. If you do have trouble, do not hesitate to call our office.