Dental Urgency:

Temporary Crowns/Bridge:

If your temporary crown or bridge falls off during non-business hours and is causing you pain or discomfort:

• You can go to the nearest drug store and ask the pharmacy for temporary cement and you can apply this temporary cement to the temporary crown and place it back on yourself.
• If you no longer have the temporary or it cracked, take some Tylenol and call our office for further instructions.
• If it’s not causing you any pain or discomfort, call our office the next business morning for further instructions.

Bleeding:

If the bleeding after an extraction, deep cleaning or other procedure has not subsided:

• Rinse with warm salt water
• Press a tea bag against the bleeding area to absorb and stop the blood;
• Do not take Motrin products – take Tylenol
• Do not smoke;
• Do not drink out of a straw
• Light bleeding can persist for several hours after treatment but should gradually subside. If bleeding continues, contact the office for further instructions.

Root Canals:

If you are feeling pain after a root canal procedure:

• There will always be some pain or discomfort on the tooth and surrounding areas.
• Make sure to take the antibiotics and/or pain medication as prescribed by the doctor.
• If no prescription was given, take over the counter Tylenol and call our office for further instructions.

Restorations:

If the filling or crown that was recently placed feels a little high when you bite down, contact our office to schedule an appointment to adjust the restoration.

If the dental urgency occurs during non-business hours, on a weekend, or a holiday — and it is not considered life-threatening but you are not sure if it can wait — always try calling our office before perusing alternative care options. Our office may not be able to provide actual treatment after hours but will make every effort to manage your pain and discomfort until you are able to get an appointment.

Dental Emergencies:

Dental emergencies can occur at anytime, and like other medical emergencies, they require different levels of care. Where you go for treatment when you have a dental emergency depends on the type of emergency you have. When deciding where you should go for treatment consider, think of the following before making your decision.

Head to the hospital for traumas involving the face and mouth, that require immediate medical attention to include:

• Jaw fractures or dislocations
• Serious lacerations of the soft tissues of the face and mouth
• An abcess or infection that is very swollen or that is impacting breathing or swallowing (particularly if you are immunocompromised)

Call 911 for Emergency Medical Services (EMS), or go directly to the hospital.

See our office when there are other dental emergencies that are not considered life-threatening but that still may require immediate care. This includes:

• A broken or cracked tooth
• An lost or knocked out tooth
• Pain from a decayed or abscessed tooth (not swollen, not impacting breathing or swallowing)

Our office should be the first person you call. Hospitals are not equipped to provide you with the treatment necessary to restore a tooth or provide other dental treatment that may be required. That care should be sought quickly, but it needn’t be in an ER.

If the dental emergency occurs during non-business hours, on a weekend, or a holiday — and it is not considered life-threatening — always try calling our office before perusing alternative care options. Our office may not be able to provide actual treatment after hours but will make every effort to manage your pain and discomfort until you are able to get an appointment.

After Hours Text Line (714) 856-7529