Dental emergencies happen and can be quite frightening and painful. Sooner or later you or a member of your family is bound to have a dental emergency. Whether it’s a toothache or a chipped tooth, we are ready to help you alleviate your pain and save your smile.
What Should I Do If I Have A Dental Emergency?
If you are experiencing a dental emergency in the Alamosa or San Luis Valley area, the number one thing you can do is remain calm and contact your dentist. Giving your dentist a call can help you determine if this is an emergency that needs immediate attention or if you’ve got some time to treat the issue.
Teeth can become fractured by trauma, grinding, and/or biting on hard objects. In some cases restorative devices like fillings or crowns can fall out completely. If you are experiencing severe pain, please do not hesitate to contact our office immediately. The pain caused by a dental emergency will almost always get worse without proper treatment and can end up effecting your overall health.
If you’ve damaged your teeth in a more severe accident, such as a car accident, we recommend that you be examined at a local emergency room to ensure there are no additional bodily injuries before scheduling an appointment. Emergency rooms do not treat tooth damage, so if you sustain injury during an accident, call us to schedule an emergency dental appointment.
Knocked-out Tooth
If one of your teeth has been knocked out of your mouth, you need to see a dentist immediately. We will do everything we can to save a tooth that has been knocked out. If your tooth can be placed back into its socket within one hour, your chances of tissues growing back to support the tooth are greater.
If your tooth has been knocked out here are some steps you can take:
- Call our office at (719) 992-2016
- DO NOT touch the root of the tooth. Pick up your tooth by the crown and rinse it under warm water.
- If possible, place the tooth back into its socket or tuck it into your cheek.
- If your tooth cannot be placed in your mouth, put the tooth into a cup of milk, saliva or water as a last resort. It is important to keep the tooth from drying out.
- Get to our office.
We will try our best to place your tooth back into its socket depending on the damage of the tooth. If the tooth is seriously damaged, root canal therapy may be required.
Broken or Cracked Tooth
Your teeth are incredibly strong, but sometimes breaks, cracks, and fractures still happen. These are generally caused by biting something hard, grinding your teeth, or trauma. Fractures can be fairly painless, but if the crack extends to the root you’ll likely experience extreme pain, as your roots are very sensitive. If you experience a broken or cracked tooth, schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
We can give you options for replacing a broken tooth, such as dental implants or dental bridges. If your tooth is chipped, we can assist you with an emergency dental veneer. You can save yourself further damage and pain by scheduling an emergency dentist appointment immediately.
Lost Filling or Crown
Loose crowns and fillings usually happen when eating. Once you have lost a filling or crown, the affected tooth may be incredibly sensitive to changes in temperature and/or pressure. The usual cause for a crown to come loose is due to tooth decay beneath the crown which changes the shape of the tooth.
If you’ve lost a filling or crown, please call us immediately or request an emergency appointment.
If you are in sever pain from your tooth and you do not know why, contact us right away so we can help determine the cause of the problem and help you find a solution.
At Valley Smiles Dental we understand that emergencies occur and we are more than happy to work with you so you can receive the attention and care that you need. If you or your child has a dental emergency in Alamosa, contact our office for the proper course of emergency treatment.