Emergency Dentist – La Porte, IN
Dental Care When You Need It Most
At Region Dental, we are dedicated to making dental care available when our patients need it most. We offer early morning and evening appointments for our patients’ convenience, and we also do our best to provide same day appointments during dental emergencies. An unexpected emergency can be extremely stressful for patients, but simply having a plan of action in advance can significantly reduce that anxiety. Dr. Daniel Berquist and Dr. Joseph Ornelas are happy to help patients by offering first aid tips over the phone, scheduling appointments right away, and answering questions in order to help patients stay calm and get the care they need. Should you find yourself saddled with a sudden dental emergency, contact us at Region Dental right away.
How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies
There are typically two varieties of dental emergencies: sudden trauma to the mouth, or infections brought about by long-term oral hygiene neglect. Luckily, your emergency dentist in La Porte is more than prepared to provide care for both. Here are some tips to deal with common dental emergencies before you reach our office.
Toothache
First, rinse your mouth with saltwater to ensure no food debris is stuck between your teeth and causing your discomfort. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen according to the instructions on the bottle. Just be sure that you do NOT place aspirin directly on the sore tooth. Doing so can further irritate the site and exacerbate your pain.
Chipped or Broken Tooth
Rinse and spit to remove any remaining pieces of the tooth. However, try and keep them to bring with you to your appointment. To reduce swelling, apply a cold compress for 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off. Take any store-bought pain medications as needed.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Collect the tooth (touching only the crown, or the part that’s normally visible in your mouth) and give it a gentle rinse. Then, try to place it back in the socket by biting down on a piece of cloth. If you can’t, then store the tooth either in your cheek pocket or a container of milk until you can come see us. If you can’t get to us within the hour, or we are closed, then visit the nearest emergency room right away.
Lost Filling or Dental Crown
Locate the restoration and rinse and dry it off. If you have denture adhesive or even toothpaste on you, you can apply a smear and attempt to reattach the filling or crown yourself. Keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution and that you should see us to get your restoration permanently reattached.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
While there is no surefire way to prevent dental emergencies with 100% certainty, there are some precautions you can take to lessen their odds of occurring, such as:
- Attend a dental checkup and cleaning with us every six months. At these appointments, we can detect signs of an emergency, like a cavity or fracture, before they become serious issues.
- Use scissors, not your teeth, to open packaging.
- Avoid chewing on the ice in your beverage.
- Minimize your exposure to foods that are particularly hard, sticky, tough, or difficult to chew.
- Brush, floss, and rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash every day.
The Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies
The cost of treating your dental emergency will vary greatly depending on the type of emergency you’re experiencing as well as the extent of the damage. If all you need is a small filling, that is obviously going to cost less than extracting and replacing a severely damaged tooth. Before moving forward with any treatment, we will review your insurance coverage and give you a cost estimate, doing our very best to fit it into your budget. Whatever treatment your smile needs, you can rest assured that your dentist in La Porte will get you out of pain and on with your life as soon as possible!