Sarah runs across the basketball court when the ball smacks her in the face and causes her tooth to fall out. You wake up with an excruciating toothache that ibuprofen just won’t get rid of. Your husband cracks his tooth on a hard piece of candy.
Dental emergencies are often unexpected and sudden. In these cases, you can’t wait a week to meet with your dentist.
Fortunately, Dr. Luminita Markham is an emergency dentist that serves the Auburn, CA area. If an emergency has you in a pinch, don’t hesitate to call our office at 530-823-8771 to receive the urgent care you need.
Dental accidents and emergencies in Auburn, CA, happen without notice, usually catching us off guard.
At Maidu Dental, we understand how stressful these unexpected situations can be, especially if they happen to your child or any other loved one.
During the emergency, anxiety might kick in, and your first instinct might be to panic; however, we want to remind you that although it might be difficult, the best thing to do is remain calm.
You should focus on helping your family member, properly asking for help, or determining where you can get the treatment you require. But what exactly is a dental emergency?
What Is A Dental Emergency?
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), dental emergencies are:
“potentially life-threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding or to alleviate severe pain or infection. Conditions include uncontrolled bleeding; cellulitis or a diffuse soft-tissue bacterial infection with intraoral or extraoral swelling that potentially compromises the patient’s airway; or trauma involving facial bones that potentially compromises the patient’s airway.”
At Maidu Dental, we offer services for a variety of dental issues. Most of the time, we will provide same-day appointments.
Types of Dental Emergencies
The following are examples of common dental emergencies:
- Broken teeth
- Knocked-out teeth
- Items lodged between teeth
- Cracked teeth
- Gum lacerations
- Toothaches
- Protocol for Urgent Matters
When you speak with one of our friendly, compassionate team members, they will walk you through the actions you need to take to care of your tooth and help relieve pain.
How You Should React During a Dental Emergency
The protocols for common problems are:
- Broken tooth: If a tooth has been fractured or broken, you can store the broken piece in saline or water. Dr. Markham may be able to bond the broken piece back to your tooth.
- Knocked-out tooth: If you or a loved one’s tooth gets knocked out, be sure to locate the tooth and rinse it off. Try to avoid touching the tooth’s root and, f possible, place the tooth back in its socket. If that isn’t possible, you can place the tooth in saline solution or milk to keep it hydrated. This process will increase the chance of Dr. Markham being able to restore the tooth to its original spot.
- Lodged item: For an item that gets caught between your teeth, you can attempt to remove it with floss and rinsing it out of your mouth. However, if this doesn’t work, our team members will provide you with further instructions.
- Toothache: These can often go away with an ice pack or pain medication, but contact our office immediately if these don’t work. If untreated, the pain can worsen and cause more damage to your oral health.
Aside from the above common emergencies, you might also experience any of the following symptoms, requiring you to seek immediate assistance from your emergency dentist. If you experience any of the following, contact Dr. Luminita Markham at Maidu Dental in Auburn.
- Bleeding that doesn’t stop
- Painful swelling in or around your mouth
- Severe tooth or mouth pain
- Gum infection that is causing pain or swelling
- Broken filling that is causing pain
- Chipped, broken, or knocked-out tooth causing pain
- Snipping or adjusting wire of braces that are painful to cheeks or gums
- Post-surgery treatment (stitch removal)
Depending on your situation, a trip to your emergency dentist may still be necessary.
Can You Treat Dental Emergencies At Home?
Depending on the seriousness of your dental emergency, and if it happens at home, there might be some things you can do to alleviate the symptoms until you can contact or visit your emergency dentist in Auburn.
While at home, you can try the following to ease any pain or discomfort caused by a dental emergency and remedy the situation:
- Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of boiling water and use it as a warm mouthwash to relieve irritation and reduce swelling.
- Floss! If you are experiencing pain surrounding one specific tooth, something may have gotten stuck between your teeth or inside the gum tissue.
- Use a cold compress to help reduce swelling, numb irritation, and stop any bleeding that may occur.
- Rinse your mouth with Hydrogen Peroxide to help kill bacteria and alleviate irritation.
- Take over-the-counter pain medication to help alleviate any discomfort.
Can Dental Emergencies Be Prevented?
Yes, the best way to prevent a dental emergency from happening to you is to visit your Auburn dentist at least twice a year for a comprehensive oral hygiene overview.
The cornerstone to happy, healthy, and strong teeth is excellent oral health, and we can only achieve such a state by establishing a good oral hygiene routine.
So, make sure that you brush and floss after every meal, including snacks. If you can’t brush or floss, at least try to rinse your mouth with lukewarm water or mouthwash until you have access to your toothbrush.
Those practices are critical if you have taken sugary drinks or foods.
Other tips you can follow to prevent a dental emergency from happening are:
- Make sure to complete any treatment you have pending. Dental problems only get worse with time; by putting off a filling, crown, or root canal, you can be putting yourself at risk for unexpected dental emergencies.
- Take it easy on foods that are especially tough or chewy.
- Ask your dentist if you have gum disease; if you do, you may need additional hygiene visits to maintain proper tooth health.
Payment Options
Emergencies rarely happen at a convenient time, but when you’re in pain, the last thing we want you thinking about is how you are going to pay for it!
Our office staff is here to help you determine the best payment method for your situation.
To relieve some of your stress, we offer a few options to our patients:
- Acceptance of most insurance plans
- Acceptance of most credit cards
- CareCredit®
- Affordable payment plans
- Membership Club
Feel free to visit our website or contact us for questions about any of these options. We are happy to sit down and talk with you about what plan works best for you and your family.
Contact Your Auburn Emergency Dentist Today
We want to be the ones you call when an urgent problem arises. Dr. Markham’s compassionate, personal care is just what you’ll need when the unexpected happens. Don’t let fear or worry keep you from getting the help you need. You can contact our office at 530-823-8771 with any questions or concerns you may have.
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