Emergency Dentist Springfield

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? It might be! If your symptoms have persisted for more than 24 hours, it hurts to bite down, there is a pimple-like bump on your gums, or your tooth is discolored, then you should absolutely schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Springfield.

How You Should Handle a Toothache We recommend doing what you can to prevent it from worsening until you get to our office for the necessary treatment. That includes rinsing with warm saltwater, avoiding crunchy foods, taking OTC pain medication as directed, and keeping your head elevated while you sleep.

How We Treat Toothaches Tooth-colored fillings, dental crowns, and root canals can all be used to treat a damaged tooth. Ultimately, the one we recommend will depend on what we find during your emergency exam. As always, we will share with you what we found, offer our recommendations, and answer any questions you have as well.

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? A very small chip usually doesn’t require a same-day visit to our office (an appointment before the end of the week should suffice). Of course, if the chip is substantial in size, then you should come in right away, especially if you’re in pain.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth Calling us is an important to do. So is rinsing your mouth thoroughly with clean, room-temperature water before covering the tooth with sugar-free gum or dental wax.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth The most common treatment for chipped teeth is cosmetic dental bonding. That’s because it comes in a wide range of lifelike shades, it can be placed in a single appointment, and it’s one of the most affordable cosmetic dental services.

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Whether the crack is large enough that you can see it or is small enough that you’re only experiencing the symptoms, like pain when biting down, the next step is the same: call us immediately to schedule an emergency appointment.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth First, get in touch with our Springfield dental team so we can see you for an emergency exam as quickly as possible. Then, transition your focus to trying to protect your tooth from further harm (i.e., not eating anything crunchy, not chewing on that side of your mouth, not touching the tooth with your finger).

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Fortunately, a cracked tooth can often be saved with a dental crown. If that’s not an option because the damage is too extensive, then we will carefully remove it before restoring the look, health, and function of your smile with a dental bridge or implant.

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• Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Teeth can become overly sensitive for reasons like eroded enamel or the roots being exposed. While mild cases aren’t usually urgent, you may need emergency care if the discomfort is severe, if it lasts for several days, or if it only affects one or two teeth, as these can be signs of cracked teeth, fillings, or infections like advanced tooth decay or gum recession.
• How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: If you have severe tooth sensitivity, call our office. We’ll provide you with first-aid instructions and book you for an appointment. Stick to drinking lukewarm water, avoid foods that are sweet, spicy, or acidic, and take pain relievers if needed.
• How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: If the problem is caused by eroded enamel, we may treat it with prescription mouthwash or desensitizing toothpaste. If it’s caused by tooth decay or gum disease, we may treat it with antibiotics, gum grafting, gum disease therapy, or a root canal.

• Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? It’s important to act quickly upon dislodging a tooth if it is to be saved. Upon securing the tooth, call our office to explain the problem and let us know that you are coming. A tooth’s chances of being reimplanted begin to fall after thirty minutes, so it’s important that we treat it as soon as possible.
• How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: Find the tooth and handle it only by the crown, as touching the root can injure its delicate tissues. Swish the tooth in a bowl of lukewarm water to clean it and place it in a container with milk or saliva or a tooth preservation kit with the ADA seal of approval. Then head to our office.
• How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: If the tooth is in good shape and we get to the tooth quickly enough, we may be able to reimplant it in the gum where it will naturally reintegrate with the soft tissue and bone structure. However, the tooth may need to be replaced with a bridge, denture, or implant if it is beyond saving.

• Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Fillings and dental crowns are not meant to last forever and can eventually break or fall out. While this is not the most urgent dental problem, it makes your tooth more vulnerable to infection even if it doesn’t hurt. Call our office as soon as possible.
• How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: Try to find and secure the lost restoration so you can bring it to our office. You can also try to temporarily fix a dental crown back in place with dental cement. However, we cannot recommend doing the same for a lost dental filling.
• How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: If the restoration is in good shape, we may be able to put it back in place with new cement. However, if your crown or filling is compromised or lost, we may need to fit you with a new one.

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? Wearing damaged dentures can cause injuries to your gums, jaws, soft tissues, and remaining teeth. If you find that the artificial teeth or bases of your dentures have become damaged, please call our office in Springfield immediately.

How to handle a broken denture: Since wearing broken dentures can injure your soft tissues or damage the appliance further, do not replace them in your mouth until we have had a chance to evaluate them. Never attempt to repair broken dentures, as household repair products like superglue are not biocompatible and can cause illness if swallowed.

How we treat broken dentures: The way we treat dentures depends on the severity of the damage. Sometimes we can address a small chip or crack with composite resin, but the denture may need to be readjusted so that it fits properly in other cases. However, we may need to fit you for a new set of dentures if yours cannot be repaired.

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Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? Loose permanent teeth are also called extruded or partially dislodged. This can happen gradually or as a result of a sudden injury. Since loose permanent teeth are in danger of being lost, they count as a dental emergency even if they don’t hurt.

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: Immediately call our office to schedule an emergency appointment. Until then, avoid touching the tooth and eating any sticky or crunchy foods. While you shouldn’t brush or floss the troubled tooth at this time, you can clean your mouth by rinsing with warm water.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: We can treat a loose permanent tooth with a dental splint or another device. However, we may need to extract it if it cannot be saved.

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Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? Cuts to the lips, gums, or tongue are common in sports, and we may be able to help you with minor wounds and bleeding. Give our office a call so you can describe your symptoms and learn what to do next.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: Rinse the cut gently with water to remove any lingering debris. Afterward, press gauze or a clean washcloth against the wound until the bleeding stops. You can also apply a cold compress to decrease discomfort and swelling.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: If the wound is small enough, we may be able to stitch it shut. However, please visit the ER if the wound is very large or if the bleeding does not stop after ten minutes of applied pressure.

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Is jaw pain a dental emergency? While jaw pain can be stressful, it is not always a dental emergency. However, contact our office if the pain becomes chronic to prevent the development of serious oral health complications.

How you should handle jaw pain: Our staff will be glad to provide you with tips for staying comfortable over the phone before your appointment. We usually recommend using over-the-counter pain relievers and ice packs to reduce discomfort and swelling. However, head to the ER immediately if you believe your jaw is broken or dislocated.

How we treat jaw pain: A customized mouthguard may be a great way to address jaw pain by reducing the stress of clenching and teeth grinding. If your jaw pain is the result of your wisdom teeth emerging, we may recommend removing them. In other cases, we may be able to address jaw pain resulting from joint misalignments with TMJ therapy.

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Using tweezers, toothpicks, or any other sharp tool to remove anything stuck between your teeth can lead to injuries and gum recession. If you can’t get the object out with conventional dental floss or rinsing with water, contact our office to explain your symptoms. We’ll be happy to provide you with guidance on how to handle the situation and to book you for an appointment if necessary. Dr. Gramse is trained to gently and effectively remove foreign objects from between teeth so you can get back to chewing and smiling comfortably.