If you suddenly find yourself in need of emergency dental care, knowing what to do may be overwhelming. When your tooth cracks or chips, or if you have inexplicable pain in your mouth, immediately calling your dentist is step number one. Dealing with pain can be extremely difficult. Taking an over the counter pain killer or applying a cold compress can reduce the pain enough so you can assess where the pain is coming from and if you are in an urgent dental situation. Knowing the signs of a dental emergency versus a health emergency and addressing the issue quickly will get you out of pain and get your mouth back to being whole sooner.

Pain relief

Tooth pain can be caused by a number of different situations. Locating where the pain is can help you determine what is causing your tooth to hurt. But dealing with the pain first will help you to calmly consider what is happening in your mouth. In addition to taking a pain reliever and applying a cold compress, a few more ways to alleviate the pain in your mouth are:

• Rinse your mouth with warm, saltwater to kill any bacteria that could be causing an infection
• Make sure there isn’t something lodged between the teeth or in your gums that could be causing you pain. Brushing and flossing around the painful tooth may remove whatever is causing the toothache.
• For a natural relief to pain, crushing a clove of garlic and dabbing it around the aching tooth can kill bacteria and relieve pain

Signs of a dental emergency

A dental emergency can be many different issues, varying in pain and urgency. Some emergency dental situations include:

• A chipped, cracked, or knocked out tooth
• Mouth trauma
• Tooth pain that prevents sleep or eating
• Losing a dental crown or filling
• Dry socket due to a recent extraction
• Orthodontic wires becoming loose and cutting or sticking tongue, cheek, or lips

If you are experiencing any of the above or a similar situation, please do not hesitate to call your St. Augustine dentist immediately. The sooner you call, the sooner you will be able to be seen by the dentist. They can also instruct you on what to do in the meantime.

Signs of a health emergency

As with any other injury, if the dental emergency is life-threatening such as:

• Swelling, infection, or abscess that is affecting breathing
• Fractured or dislocated jaw
• Deep cuts in the mouth with uncontrollable bleeding
• Facial fractures affecting airways

If you are experiencing anything like this, please call 9-1-1 or quickly make your way to the nearest hospital.

Experienced care

When you are in need of emergency dental care in St. Augustine, FL, a caring and experienced dentist will listen to your concerns and give you the best, personalized care while treating you as a patient and not just as a mouth. With an importance placed on on-going education, you can rest assured that your dental emergency will be addressed with the latest advancements in dental care.

If you are looking for a friendly dentist that offers extended evening and weekend hours to help you through an emergency dental situation in St. Augustine, FL, call Dr. Singh at Dental Remedies today!