Especially during the holidays, dental emergencies may come up at inconvenient times. You need a reliable dentist in Santa Monica, CA that offers emergency dentistry services. Dr. Fabrizio Dall’Olmo and his staff offer care for dental emergencies, making sure you can get the care you need as soon as possible.
What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency can be many things. If you feel intense pain or have swelling in your mouth, that would be an emergency. One also occurs when you lose or break a tooth, dental restoration, or filling. They happen when you aren’t expecting. It isn’t usually something that you’re aware of that slowly builds.
What Do I Do if I Have a Dental Emergency?
If you find yourself having a dental emergency, it’s important to stay calm. Our dental care team is here to help you through your situation. Call us and we’ll get you treatment in our office as soon as we possibly can. There are certain precautions you can take for certain emergencies as well.
Pain and Swelling
With pain and swelling, it may be hard to determine the specific cause. Until we’re able to examine it, try taking over the counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These can help minimize both pain and swelling. Put an ice pack on the area that’s swelling. It should help the swelling go down, as well as numb the pain a little.
Another thing you can do is a saltwater rinse. Warm saltwater in the mouth can help clear out any food you may have blocked. It can also reduce swelling and inflammation. Make sure you swish the water around your mouth for a minimum of 30 seconds to get relief.
Losing a Tooth
If you lose a tooth, the first thing you should do is to try and find it. If you do, only pick it up by the crown, not any part of the root. Avoid touching or scrubbing any bit of the root that’s attached, as you don’t want that to be removed. Instead, gently rinse the tooth in water. Then, put it in a cup of milk or your own saliva to preserve it
After you get the tooth found and taken care of, wash out your mouth to take care of any bleeding. Gently put pressure where it’s bleeding to try and make it stop. If you’re dealing with pain, take over the counter pain relievers and apply a cold compress to your cheek.
Breaking or Losing a Dental Restoration
As with losing a tooth, try to find as much of the restoration as possible to bring to your appointment with you. It won’t need to be placed in saliva or milk as it’s not a real tooth with a root structure. Don’t make any attempts to try and replace or fix the restoration on your own. This can lead to even more damage to both the restoration and tooth that it’s on. At your appointment, Dr. Dall’Olmo can create a new custom restoration for you.
Emergency Dentistry at Your Santa Monica, CA Dentist
Dr. Dall’Olmo and his staff are here to help you with any dental emergency you may have. Call us today or schedule an appointment online! We’ll get you in and fixed up as soon as possible.