It can happen at the most inconvenient time. There’s a big event scheduled for the weekend and CRACK—your tooth breaks or chips. OR, a dull toothache develops and worsens, only a few days before your family vacation. “This was not in the plan!” you think. Dental emergencies can be incredibly frustrating, but we at Boulevard Dental Associates want you to be as prepared as possible for these potential, unforeseen emergencies so that you have a game plan if they do occur. Our own Dr. Tim Medianick shares his advice below to help you develop such a game plan.
Toothaches:
- Call your dentist if you have persistent discomfort or an unusual sensation that doesn’t go away or that reoccurs for more than 1-2 days.
- Call your dentist if you have increasing pain that wakes you up at night.
- Call your dentist right away if the intensity of your pain requires you to take medication.
Broken or Chipped Teeth:
- Call your dentist because the rough edges of your teeth can continue to chip or break and could tear through or irritate the soft tissues of the mouth.
- Call your dentist even if there is no pain.
- Immediate action increases the chance that your tooth or teeth can be restored with a composite filling or crown, for example.
Ulcers:
- Call your dentist if you have an ulcer or unusual lesion on your soft tissues (cheeks, tongue, gums) that doesn’t go away for 2-3 weeks.
- The majority of ulcers resolve in 2-3 weeks. Unresolved mouth lesions could be cancerous.
- Whether pain is present or not, it is strongly encouraged to call your dentist for a consultation.
In summary, Dr. Medianick’s advice is that if anything is broken, or you have pain that does not subside or if anything feels unusual in your mouth, call your dentist immediately. Your dentist can then help you to mitigate your dental emergency before it worsens. Our goal is to prevent the much bigger problems that can develop if dental emergencies are left untreated!
–Dr. Tim Medianick, DMD, FICOI