Emergency dentistry provides immediate care for dental problems or trauma. Emergency dental care is essential when you have severe tooth pain, a knocked-out tooth, or extreme discomfort. Dice Dental offers emergency dentistry services in Bethlehem, PA to prevent further damage to your smile and alleviate your pain.
While emergencies require urgent attention, our practice also provides general dentistry services to help prevent dental emergencies. Contact our office immediately if you have a dental emergency. We have the skills, tools, and experience to address your dental emergency promptly and effectively. We’re here to help you get back to your normal life as quickly as possible.
Common Dental Emergencies
Knowing what counts as a dental emergency can help you decide when to seek immediate care. Dr. Damien Ren is here to give you urgent dental treatment. Some common dental emergencies that require prompt attention include:
Severe Tooth Pain
Sudden and intense tooth pain that doesn’t go away with medicine could mean you have a serious problem like an infection or abscess. This type of pain often feels like a constant, throbbing ache. The pain can worsen if you chew hard foods or drink something hot or cold.
Other causes of tooth pain can include dental cavities or hits to the mouth. We recommend that you call our office so we can see you as soon as possible. At home, take pain medication and avoid biting or chewing on the teeth that hurt.
We may recommend a root canal or fillings for infected teeth. If you have a dental abscess, we can drain it in our office. But if your teeth are too damaged or infected to save, we’ll perform a comfortable tooth extraction.
Knocked-Out Tooth
If a tooth gets knocked out, you want to act fast. Try to find the tooth, hold it by the crown (the top part), and gently rinse it with water if it’s dirty. Don’t scrub or remove any attached tissue.
If possible, place the tooth back into the socket and hold it in place. You can also place your tooth in a cup of saliva to transport to our office. Getting to our office within 30 minutes gives you the best chance of saving the tooth. But if we can’t save the tooth, we’ll recommend restorative treatments like dental implants.
Broken or Cracked Teeth
If you break or crack a tooth, especially if it causes pain or bleeding, you need to see our dentist right away. Even if the damage seems small, it could get worse if not treated. Cracks can expose the inner layers of the tooth, and increase the risk of infection and damage.
As soon as you damage a tooth, rinse your mouth gently with warm water to clean the area. If you’re bleeding, apply gentle pressure with a clean piece of gauze or a soft cloth until the bleeding stops. To help reduce swelling, you can place a cold compress on your cheek near the broken tooth. If you’re in pain, over-the-counter pain relievers.
We can provide multiple treatment options for broken teeth. If you have pits in your teeth, we may recommend a dental filling. For smaller chips or cracks, we recommend bonding. Dental crowns are the best option for extensive tooth damage. A crown can cover your tooth like a cap.
Lost Fillings or Crowns
If a filling or crown falls out, the exposed tooth can feel sensitive to temperature and pressure. Without protection, the tooth is also at risk for further damage or decay.
If you lose a filling or crown, contact our office as soon as possible. We can provide a temporary restoration to keep your tooth protected.
Swollen Face or Gums
Swelling in your face, jaw, or gums can be a sign of a serious infection. This type of swelling might be caused by an abscess, a pocket of infection that needs prompt care. Dr. Ren can find and drain an abscess to prevent it from bursting. A burst abscess can spread infection throughout your body.
If you have a swollen face from an allergic reaction or physical injury, visit a hospital first. We recommend that patients visit the emergency room if needed before we fix dental problems.
Objects Stuck Between Teeth
Sometimes food or other small objects can get stuck between your teeth and cause discomfort. If you’ve tried flossing and rinsing but can’t remove the item, and it’s causing pain or pressure, don’t try to force it out. We have the right tools to safely remove it without harming your gums or teeth.
The Benefits of Emergency Dentistry Care in Bethlehem, PA
Getting emergency dental care at Dice Dental can make a big difference when you’re dealing with a dental problem. Some of the main benefits of getting dental care as soon as you need it include:
Pain Relief
One of the most important reasons to visit the dentist in an emergency is to stop the pain. Severe tooth pain can make it hard to eat, sleep, or focus on anything else. Dr. Ren and the team at Dice Dental are trained to find the cause of your pain and treat it quickly, so you can get back to feeling normal again.
Save Your Tooth
If a tooth gets knocked out or badly damaged, acting fast gives you the best chance to save it. For example, if you get to the dentist within 30 minutes of knocking out a tooth, we can place it back in its socket.
We can also more easily repair broken or cracked teeth when treated right away. Biting and chewing on a damaged tooth can chip away at more of your tooth over time.
Prevent Infections
Untreated dental problems can lead to serious infections in your teeth or gums. These infections can spread to other parts of your body and make you sick. Emergency dental care can stop the infection early and stop its spread.
Lower Your Risk of Complications
Catching a problem early means you’re less likely to need complicated or expensive treatments later. Treating a small cavity now can prevent the need for a root canal or extraction in the future. Draining a tooth abscess can prevent the spread of infection throughout your body.
Protect Your Smile and Confidence
A broken or missing tooth can affect how you speak, eat, and smile. Tooth damage and lost teeth make it harder to pronounce certain words. You may find it difficult to eat foods with a damaged tooth.
You may also cover a missing tooth gap if it shows when you smile. Getting fast care at Dice Dental helps restore how your tooth looks and functions.
Give You Peace of Mind
When something goes wrong with your teeth, it can be scary. Having a trusted dental team like Dice Dental available for emergency care gives you peace of mind. You can get emergency dental care when you need it most.
Get an Emergency Appointment
You can get complete emergency dentistry services in Bethlehem, PA. Call DICE Dental today at 484-917-2734. You can also request an appointment with Dr. Ren online.