Emergency Dentist Ponte Vedra Beach

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency?

Toothaches can have many causes, and yours may be an emergency depending on its severity. Contact us if your toothache:

• Is severe or throbbing
• Lasts longer than twenty-four hours
• Involves sharp sensitivity that lasts for more than thirty seconds
• Is accompanied by a small bump on the gum tissue around the afflicted tooth
• The troubled tooth is darker than the other teeth
• You notice symptoms of infections such as fever, fatigue, swelling, or a foul taste

How You Should Handle a Toothache

Begin by brushing and flossing in case your pain is caused by a stubborn object stuck in your teeth. If this doesn’t solve the problem, take an over-the-counter pain reliever or rinse with a solution of water and table salt. You can also try using a cold compress to reduce swelling and discomfort.

How We Treat Toothaches

The best way to address a toothache depends on its cause. After we evaluate your pained tooth in our office, we may recommend treatments like fillings, gum disease therapy, or a dental crown. However, it may be necessary to extract a severely infected tooth to protect the rest of the smile.

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency?

Chipped teeth aren’t always a dental emergency, so you may be able to wait a few days before seeking help if your damage is minor. However, large chips or damage that exposes the inner structures of the tooth must be treated at our office as soon as possible. Regardless of the severity of a chip, leaving the tooth untreated can eventually lead to worse damage or dental infections.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth

Store any large pieces of your tooth that you find in a clean container and bring it with you to our office. Until your appointment, you can keep your tooth clean and comfortable by rinsing regularly with salt water to flush away debris and harmful bacteria. Avoid chewing with the injured tooth, and you can cover any sharp edges with dental wax or sugar-fee gum if they are causing irritation.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth 

We usually use cosmetic bonding to fix minor chips quickly and painlessly. However, a tooth that is especially visible in your smile or severely chipped may need to be restored with a veneer.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency?

Even a tiny crack in a tooth’s enamel can increase its risk of infection and further injury, so it’s best to have the team at Ponte Vedra Family Dentistry address the issue as soon as possible. Cracks aren’t always visible, so contact us if you notice dental pain or sensitivity after sustaining a blow to the face.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth

Begin by rinsing your mouth with water to clear away bacteria and lingering enamel shards. If you experience pain or sensitivity, you may be able to reduce it with a cold compress or by taking over-the-counter pain relievers according to the instructions printed on the bottle. Refrain from chewing on the injured side of your mouth. If you experience sensitivity, you can cover the troubled tooth with dental wax or sugar-free gum.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth 

We usually treat a cracked tooth by fitting it with a customized dental crown. However, we may be able to fix minor damage through a comfortable and noninvasive process called cosmetic bonding. A tooth that is fractured beyond repair may need to be extracted and replaced with an appropriate restoration such as a dental implant.

Very Sensitive Teeth

• Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Not usually. While sensitivity can be bothersome, it doesn’t always mean that something is wrong with your oral health. That said, it’s always good to double-check!
• How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: You should call our office and describe your symptoms. If you can pinpoint the sensitivity to one tooth, you might have a cavity, and we’ll want to schedule you for a visit sooner than later.
• How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: For “normal” sensitivity, we can help strengthen your teeth with a fluoride treatment and sensitivity toothpaste recommendations. If we detect a cavity, however, you’ll likely need a filling.

Knocked-Out Tooth

• Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, and you’ll need to act quickly in order to have the best chance of saving your tooth. After one hour, the delicate roots are no longer able to sustain the tooth, and we won’t be able to reinsert it.
• How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: If you’re able to find your knocked-out tooth, pick up by the crown side only. You can rinse it off gently in water, but should store it in a container with milk or saliva. This should help it stay preserved for one hour.
• How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: We’ll see you as soon as possible so we can try to reinsert your tooth. Please note, though, that if your tooth is no longer viable, we may not be able to do so, and you’ll be needing a replacement.

Lost Filling or Crown

• Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Yes, though it’s usually safe to go without a crown or filling for a few days. Ultimately, your tooth will be more vulnerable without its restoration, though, so we still recommend prompt action.
• How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: Step one should be to find your lost crown. While fillings can’t be reinserted, we’ll be able to tell you over the phone if it’s safe to try and reseat your crown. To do so, simply rinse off your crown, dab a small amount of toothpaste on the underside, and gently press it into place.
• How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: Lost fillings always have to be replaced. Crowns, on the other hand, may be repaired if they haven’t sustained severe damage. Rest assured, we’ll aim for the treatment that’s most convenient for you if at all possible.

Broken Dentures  

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Patients often assume that broken dentures aren’t a dental emergency. However, even relatively minor damage can lead to issues like mouth sores and trouble chewing, so we do recommend scheduling an appointment with either Dr. Perry or Dr. De Bonis ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture In addition to calling us to schedule an appointment (even if it’s a day or two from now), we recommend placing your denture in a small, clean container to prevent it from breaking further.

How We Treat Broken Dentures If the damage is relatively mild, then there’s a good chance that our Ponte Vedra Beach dental team will be able to fix your denture at our office. If it’s more severe, then we will likely need to replace it with a new traditional or implant denture instead.

Loose Permanent Tooth  

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, especially if it feels like your tooth is on the brink of falling out. If that’s the case, it’s important that you call us ASAP so we have the highest chances of being able to save your tooth.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth Calling us to schedule an emergency appointment is an important first step. Outside of that, we recommend focusing on doing what you can to prevent your tooth from loosening further, like eating only extremely soft foods and not touching it with your finger.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth Our goal is always to save your natural teeth. If your tooth cannot be saved, then we will extract it before using a custom dental bridge or implant to fill the open space.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue  

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Soft tissue injuries like these do warrant immediate attention, but not usually from a dentist. In other words, they can usually be handled quickly and painlessly at home.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue There are a few steps we recommend taking, starting with rinsing your mouth with clean, cool water. When you’re done, grab some gauze or a damp, clean washcloth and use it to apply pressure to the cut. If any inflammation lingers after the bleeding has stopped, use a cold compress.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue Although soft tissue injuries can usually be handled at home, we do recommend calling 911 or heading to the ER if the bleeding persists for over 10 minutes.

Jaw Pain  

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? Jaw pain doesn’t usually require same-day care, but it shouldn’t be ignored either. So, if yours has persisted for several days or progressed to the point where it’s negatively impacting your quality of life, don’t hesitate to call us.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain Until your appointment with us, we recommend doing what you can to alleviate your discomfort, like using a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time.

How We Treat Jaw Pain Before we can determine the answer, we need to determine the culprit. Following your exam, we will share our findings, review your treatment options, like TMJ therapy, and answer any questions you have before moving forward.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TMJ TREATMENT

Something Stuck Between the Teeth  

If you have something stuck between your teeth, use floss instead of reaching for a toothpick or another sharp object. You can also rinse with warm saltwater (this will help loosen the debris). If nothing seems to be working, call our dental team in Ponte Vedra Beach.