Emergency Dentist — Marlton, NJ

Toothaches

Is my toothache a dental emergency? A toothache may or may not be a dental emergency; whether it’s urgent depends on its cause. For instance, tooth pain from a minor issue isn’t a big deal. Meanwhile, an ache is serious when severe health problems cause it. That means your toothache can be an emergency if it features one (or more) of the following:

• Pain that’s intense or lasts over 24 hours
• Tooth sensitivity that lasts more than 30 seconds at a time
• A sharp ache from biting down
• Gum bumps near the affected tooth
• Pained teeth that look darker than adjacent ones
• Symptoms of a tooth infection (swelling, fever, fatigue, etc.)

How you should handle a toothache: For starters, you should assess the pained area for signs of trapped food or debris. This step is best done by flossing near the tooth. If there’s no debris, go ahead and take an over-the-counter painkiller. You should then rinse with salt water to ease inflammation or reduce any swelling by using a cold compress. Finally, visit your local emergency dentist.

How we treat toothaches: Our team must examine your tooth to find the cause of its ache. From there, we can suggest suitable procedures that would help. These services may range from fillings and root canals to gum disease treatment. Whatever the final procedure(s), you’d find relief from pain and better oral health.

Chipped Tooth

Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? A chipped tooth isn’t often a dental emergency. That said, you should still have it treated fairly quickly. Leaving the tooth alone could cause its chipped area to grow larger and expose the inner pulp. In that case, you’d be at high risk of severe dental damage or decay.

How you should handle a chipped tooth: First and foremost, find the chipped tooth piece and store it in a clean, clear container. You can then rinse your mouth to clear away bacteria and any leftover shards. As a last step, don’t use the injured tooth to bite or chew while you wait for treatment.

How we treat chipped teeth: Our dental team could fill in your tooth’s chipped area(s) with a composite resin, at least if the harm is minimal. Still, you could also get a porcelain veneer if you simply want to hide the damage from view.

Cracked Tooth

Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency? Not always; a cracked tooth isn’t urgent when the damage is minor. However, severe cracks are definitely urgent. They need immediate treatment, or they can trigger severe tooth infections. Just note that not all tooth cracks are visible. If your tooth is sensitive or aches when biting down, you may have hidden damage due to a face injury.

How you should handle a cracked tooth: Firstly, rinse your mouth with water to remove harmful bacteria near the tooth. You should then take store-bought pain relievers or use a cold compress. With either action, you could ease any pain or swelling. The last step is to protect the tooth until your dental visit by not chewing near it.

How we treat cracked teeth: If your tooth’s crack is small, we could apply composite resin that covers it up. Otherwise, we’d suggest a dental crown to protect the cracked area from further harm and hide its presence. There’s also the option of extracting and replacing the tooth, though this is a last resort.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency?

Dental sensitivity is rarely an emergency, but it can be in severe cases. If your sensitivity involves pain rather than discomfort, lasts for several days, or affects only one or two teeth, it may be a dental emergency, so contact us if you notice these symptoms.

How you should handle sensitive teeth:

Begin by calling our office so we can offer first-aid tips and schedule you for an appointment. To stay comfortable until then, drink lukewarm water, avoid foods and beverages that are sweet, spicy, or acidic, and take over-the-counter pain relievers according to the instructions printed on the label.

How we treat tooth sensitivity:

The best way to treat your dental sensitivity will depend on what is causing it. For example, we can address tooth decay with dental fillings or irritated gum tissue with gum disease therapy. If your sensitivity is caused by nocturnal teeth grinding, we can fit you for a customized nightguard that will protect your smile when you sleep.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency?

It’s important to act quickly if you wish to save a knocked-out tooth. Call our office as soon as possible to schedule an emergency appointment. Your tooth’s chances of being successfully reimplanted will begin to fall sharply after about thirty minutes, so the sooner we see it, the better.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth:

Find and secure the tooth by handling it by the crown portion only since touching the exposed roots can injure the vulnerable tissue there. If the tooth is dirty, gently swish it about in a bowl of lukewarm water. Never use running, cold, or hot water, as this can injure it. Place the tooth in a vessel with milk or a little saliva to keep it preserved for up to one hour. You can also use an ADA-approved tooth preservation kit if it is available.

How we treat knocked-out teeth:

If the tooth is still viable when it gets to our office, we may be able to reimplant it so it naturally reintegrates with your jaw and gums. However, a tooth that cannot be saved will have to be replaced.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency?

Dental restorations such as crowns and fillings are incredibly durable and functional, but they are not designed to last forever. An older restoration may degrade or fall out of place completely. While this is not always an emergency, the tooth will be at an increased risk of being infected, so it’s important to call our office when this happens so Dr. Petulla can treat the issue promptly.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown:

If you can, locate the restoration and bring it to our office. You can also try reseating a dislodged dental crown with dental adhesive or a little bit of sugar-free gum. However, we cannot recommend doing the same for a dislodged dental filling.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns:

If your restoration is in relatively good condition, we may be able to fix it back in its place upon the tooth. However, we will recommend replacing it if it is severely damaged.

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? To be honest, yes – a broken denture is a dental emergency. Using it as-is would greatly injure your (remaining) teeth, gums, and soft mouth tissues. You should thus call your dentist if your denture’s teeth or base get damaged, as they can quickly address the matter.

How you should handle a broken denture: You should do several things to handle a broken denture. For starters, avoid putting it in your mouth; using it would harm you. The next step is not to fix the device yourself, as doing so can further damage it. It’d be better to have a qualified local dentist perform the repairs.

How we treat broken dentures: If you have broken dentures, our practice could use several methods to fix them. The first option, ideal when the damage is minor, is to fill any small chips or cracks with resin. Alternatively, we could readjust your broken denture with a thorough relining. Our team could also replace the device entirely if its damage is severe.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a loose permanent tooth a dental emergency? A loose permanent tooth is a dental emergency, as adult teeth should be firmly rooted. These pearly whites are at higher risk of falling out from accidents or injuries when they’re unsteady. If such tooth loss occurs, you’d have smile gaps that could cause tooth decay, gum disease, or worse. The gaps might even shift your other teeth until they also fall out.

How you should handle loose permanent teeth: Before taking any action, please call our office; quick treatment for a loose tooth can save it. You should then avoid touching or using the loosened area. Instead, you can rinse your mouth with warm water while you wait for care. (Doing so removes any nearby debris.)

How we treat loose permanent teeth: Our office always tries to save loose permanent teeth first, often with dental splints and similar methods. As such, we’ll only advise an extraction if a tooth simply can’t be saved. We’d quickly remove the pearly white in that scenario and place a prosthetic as a substitute, such as a dental implant or bridge.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? If the injury is rather deep or severe, it could absolutely be a dental emergency. A large cut in your mouth would likely bleed a lot and require urgent care to avoid infection. If you play contact sports involving collisions, you may even be at high risk of such an injury.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: You should first clean the injured area gently with water; doing so rinses debris from your mouth. Afterward, apply some pressure with a clean washcloth (or gauze) until the bleeding stops. You can also use an ice pack or cold compress to reduce symptoms like swelling and pain.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: Our team could clean and stitch your wound closed if it isn’t too big. With that said, visit an ER first if any bleeding doesn’t stop within ten minutes.

 Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Most cases of jaw pain aren’t dental emergencies, though they’re often annoying and unpleasant. This kind of ache is only urgent if it becomes severe and chronic.

How you should handle jaw pain: Call us first, as we’ll share detailed advice with you over the phone. Our team’s suggestions may include taking painkillers, using an ice pack to reduce swelling, etc. We’ll also advise you to visit an ER if you believe your jaw is broken or dislocated. In that situation, we’ll gladly fix your smile after your jaw is patched up.

How we treat jaw pain: If your pain stems from bruxism, our team can provide you with a custom nightguard. This device eases your ache by keeping you from grinding your teeth. As for pain from a broken or dislocated jaw, we can also fix damaged or lost teeth after your ER visit.

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Objects stuck between teeth aren’t often emergencies, as most come out on their own. Still, don’t hesitate to see us if it’s causing you a lot of pain. Our dentists can use their skills to dislodge the offending object without causing more problems. Just don’t use tweezers or toothpicks in the meantime; they’ll cause more issues for your smile. A better alternative is to floss near the affected area or rinse your mouth.