Emergency Dentistry
Emergency Dental Care in Germantown, MD
River Stone Dental knows that emergencies never happen at convenient times so we save room in our schedule for patients with unanticipated problems. If you experience a dental issue that requires urgent care, call our office immediately so we can advise you what to do. In fact, it’s a good idea to keep our number in the contact list on your phone. The quicker you can contact us, the better the outcome when it comes to emergencies.
Some Common Dental Emergencies
Some dental emergencies require urgent care and some require immediate care. Because it’s often hard for patients to tell the difference, don’t hesitate to call our office for guidance.
- If you knock out a permanent tooth, contact us immediately. If possible you should try to put the tooth back into its socket yourself. Carefully pick up the tooth by the crown and gently rinse off any debris before reinserting it. If this isn’t possible then bring the tooth to our office in a sealed container of milk. In either case, the sooner you get to the office the greater the chance that the tooth can be saved.
- Broken, cracked or chipped teeth are definitely uncomfortable but it’s not always necessary to be seen immediately. Call us for instructions. If you chip a tooth sometimes the piece can be bonded back to the tooth so bring it in with you.
- If you have a loose permanent tooth be sure to let us know if it is a result of an injury or other problem so we can determine the best course of action.
- Toothaches can indicate serious infection or minor irritation. They can be caused by many things ranging from an infection that would be considered a dental emergency or a head cold that would benefit from over-the-counter meds. Always call us if you are in pain so we can help provide relief.
- A lost filling, lost or broken dental crown, or broken dentures require urgent care but they don’t always require a same day appointment. We want to get everything fixed up as soon as possible so you will be comfortable and confident. However in these cases the life of your tooth or your general health is not in danger.
- An untreated bacterial infection can cause an abscess, which is a buildup of pus underneath the gums. Besides being painful, infections can be dangerous if they are left untreated. This is why abscesses are considered emergencies. Contact us for instructions if you have a dental abscess. If you are also experiencing a fever then the abscess can require emergency treatment.
