Post Op Care & Emergencies

Please call our office if you are having a dental emergency. After hours, over the weekend, and during holidays, please call our office for the doctor's emergency contact number

Traumatic Dental Injuries

A knocked-out tooth requires quick thinking and immediate action. You will increase the chances that the tooth can be saved if you pick it up without touching the root, gently clean it off with water, and place it back in its socket, facing the correct way. Hold it in place with gentle pressure as you make your way to our dental office or your local emergency room. If you can't replant it immediately, tuck it between your cheek and gum, or carry it in a container of cold milk.

If a tooth is chipped, try to find any pieces that have come off, as it may be possible to reattach them. Make an appointment as soon as possible, and bring the pieces with you.

Tooth Pain

Acute or persistent tooth pain always signals a need for an urgent visit to the dentist. The most common cause of tooth pain is decay, a bacterial infection that can spread through many parts of the tooth, and even into the gum tissue. Sometimes, tooth pain indicates that you may need a root canal treatment — a procedure that not only relieves the pain, but can also keep the tooth from bring removed. Other times, pain may be caused by a loose filling or sensitive tooth. The only way to know for sure what's causing your tooth pain is to make an appointment.

Gum Injuries

Injuries and infections involving the soft tissues of the mouth may also require emergency treatment. The tissues of the gums, tongue, or cheek lining can be damaged by accidental bites, falls, sports injuries, and scalding liquids. They may also suffer injury from foreign bodies that become lodged below the gum line, and can develop painful and potentially serious abscesses. A periodontal (gum) abscess is a pus-filled sac caused by an infection and is usually quite painful. Abscesses require immediate attention.

Any injury to the soft tissues of the mouth should be rinsed with salt water. Bleeding can usually be controlled by pressing a clean, damp material to the area for 10-15 minutes. If this does not work, go to the emergency room immediately.

A foreign body lodged beneath the gum line can sometimes be gently worked out with dental floss or a toothpick. But if this can't be accomplished easily, make a dental appointment so the area does not become damaged and/or infected.

Orthodontic Emergencies

Although there can be discomfort associated with orthodontic treatment, there are only a few true orthodontic emergencies. Infection or swelling of the gums, mouth or face, and severe, unmanageable discomfort or pain in these areas can be orthodontic emergencies. In any of these situations, seek immediate care or visit the emergency room — whichever is your best option. For loose, broken, or irritating pieces of orthodontic hardware, please call our office to schedule an appointment.

After Care Instructions

  • Be careful to avoid biting your numb tissue.  Do not attempt to eat until the numbing fades. 
  • Bonded white composite fillings are completely set.
  • Bonded silver amalgam fillings will not be completely set for 24 hours.  A soft diet is recommended for the first 24 hours.
  • Uneven bites may need to have a bite adjustment. Bite adjustments on new fillings can be completed during a short appointment.
  • Ibuprofen (Advil) will help to settle tooth pain. 
  • If your gums are tender after your appointment, it is best to keep them clean with gentle brushing and flossing.  Salt water rinses (1/2 tsp table salt in 8oz of warm water) will help sooth and speed up healing.

After Care Instructions

  • Be careful to avoid biting your numb tissue.  Do not attempt to eat until the numbing fades. 
  • Adults should monitor children to help prevent tissue biting/ trauma.
  • Avoid using straws, spitting, vigorous swishing of fluids, and smoking.  All of these activities can interfere with the healing process.
  • After 24 hours, gently start rinsing your mouth with a salt water solution (1/2 tsp table salt in 8oz of warm water) – remember to be gentle.
  • Most sutures will dissolve on their own.  If you need suture removal, please schedule an appointment.  
  • Avoid placing your tongue or fingers in the area of the extraction and avoid pulling on your cheek in this area. 
  • Avoid foods that break into small pieces when you chew them (raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and popcorn). These foods will get stuck in the extraction site and slow down the healing process. 
  • If you have recurrent bleeding, place a fresh gauze on the site and bite on it for 20 minutes.  Usually this is enough to stop the bleeding.  It is normal to have some bleeding from the site and streaks of blood in your saliva. 
  • Most pain can be managed with an over the counter pain reliver. If more pain control is necessary, please contact our dental office.  Pain medications work best when taken before the pain reaches its worst.  Pain medications should be taken on a schedule and never more than the recommended dose.

After Care Instructions

  • Be careful to avoid biting your numb tissue.  Do not attempt to eat until the numbing fades.
  • Taking an ibuprofen pain medication could help with tooth pain.
  • Often your gums will be tender around the tooth that has been worked on.  Keeping your gums clean with gentle brushing and flossing and rinsing with warm salt water (1/2 tsp regular table salt in 8oz of warm water) will help your gums recover faster. 
  • Your temporary crown needs to stay on your prepared tooth.  It helps protect the preparation and prevent sensitivity.  The temporary crown also keeps your tooth in place.  Your tooth will drift if the temporary crown is taken off or poked. A little Vaseline inside the temporary crown will help it stay on.

After Care Instructions

  • Be careful to avoid biting your numb tissue.  Do not attempt to eat until the numbing fades.
  • There may be  sensitivity to hot and/or cold, sensitivity to pressure, and swelling.
  • In most cases any discomfort will subside dramatically within the first 24-48 hours. Ibuprofen (Advil) usually relieves this discomfort.  In some cases, pain medication and antibiotics may be prescribed.
  • If the pain gets worse and it feels as though you have a toothache, please call our office.
  • A temporary filling will be used to seal the tooth between visits and before a more permanent restoration can be placed.  If this temporary filling comes out, it needs to be replaced. Leaving the tooth unprotected could lead to an infection.
  • During root canal treatment, the nerve, blood, and nutrient supply to the tooth are removed.  This will cause the tooth to become brittle and prone to fracturing, which may result in the need to extract  the tooth.
  • To manage a brittle tooth and avoid fracturing it, chew on the other side of your mouth and avoid hard, sticky foods.  In most cases, a full coverage restoration (crown) will be necessary to protect your tooth after a root canal is completed.