Emergency Dentistry: Care You Need, When You Need It
Dental emergencies tend to happen at the worst of times and it’s likely you won’t be entirely prepared for one. If you’re dealing with situations like severe oral pain, broken dental restorations and appliances, or teeth that have come loose or fallen out, it’s important to get care as soon as possible. That way, any pain and discomfort can be alleviated quickly and damage can be minimized, if not reversed.
At DiBartola Dental, emergency dentists Dr. DiBartola and Dr. Kist alongside our skilled dental staff offer emergency dental services to ensure you can protect and maintain your oral health as much as possible. Read our guide below to learn what’s considered a dental emergency.
What Is Emergency Dentistry?
Emergency dentistry refers to the treatment of sudden dental problems that cause severe pain or discomfort and can worsen your oral health if not treated promptly. To combat the unexpected and serious nature of dental emergencies, our Bridgeville dentists offer convenient, 24/7 emergency dental care near you. Additionally, if you can’t reach our office, they can offer advice on how to handle your dental emergency until you can receive proper dental treatment.
Dental Emergencies & How to Handle Them
Some of the most common dental emergencies include:
- Toothache
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Loose teeth
- Lost or broken crown
- Soft tissue Injury
- Dental abscess
- Tooth infections
- Broken Jaw
Regardless of your emergency, our dentists are here to help. Keep reading to learn more about what steps you can take for common dental emergencies.
Toothache
- Take over the counter pain medication. If you’re taking aspirin, don’t put it directly on the affected tooth or the nearby gum tissue. Aspirin is highly acidic and can result in serious chemical burns for your tooth and gums.
- Press a cold compress to your cheek over the affected area to control the pain and bring down swelling.
- Gently rinse your mouth with a salt solution for 30 seconds, three times a day or after meals. This can help loosen debris that may be caught in cavities or in between your teeth, reduce swelling, and improve healing. To make a salt solution, mix one teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water.
- Schedule an appointment with DiBartola Dental by dialing (412) 221-9440. Our emergency dentists will diagnose the cause and can provide possible solutions such as extractions or root canal treatment.
Damaged Teeth or Soft Tissue Injury
- Use over the counter pain medication if your tooth or injury is causing pain.
- Apply a cold compress to control and reduce any swelling.
- Gently rinse with a warm saltwater solution up to three times a day to keep the tooth or soft tissue clean and prevent infection.
- Schedule an appointment with DiBartola Dental by dialing (412) 221-9440. Our dentists can treat soft tissue injuries like a bitten tongue and repair a chipped or broken tooth through methods like placing crowns and bridges.
Loose Teeth
- Avoid biting down on sticky, chewy, or hard foods.
- Don’t chew with the side of your mouth that has the loose tooth.
- Gently rinse with warm saltwater up to three times a day to clean any affected tissue near the loose tooth.
- Avoid brushing and flossing around this tooth until you can see a dentist. The motions may loosen the tooth further.
- Schedule an appointment with DiBartola Dental by dialing (412) 221-9440. Our emergency dentists will evaluate the tooth and decide if it can be saved, or suggest replacement options like dental implants.
Lost Teeth
- Collect the tooth or any of its pieces.
- Try to keep the tooth moist if you can’t reinsert it back into the socket. You can hold it in your cheek or place it in a glass of milk.
- Gently rinse your mouth with warm saltwater to clean any affected tissue.
- Gently rinse the tooth under cool water.
- Do not rinse off any root material from the tooth as this may make it harder for your dentist to reattach the tooth.
- Schedule an appointment with DiBartola Dental by dialing (412) 221-9440. Your Bridgeville emergency dentists may be able to reinsert the tooth into the socket. If not, they’ll recommend placement restorations like dental implants or bridges.
Lost or Broken Crowns
- Collect all of the broken pieces of your crown and place them in a clear plastic bag.
- Gently rinse your mouth with a warm saltwater solution up to three times a day to keep the underlying tooth clean.
- Do not attempt to repair a broken crown yourself as this may cause further damage to the fixture or your teeth.
- Cover your exposed tooth with dental wax as a temporary barrier.
- Avoid hot and cold foods and drinks until your crown is repaired or replaced.
- Schedule an appointment with DiBartola Dental by dialing (412) 221-9440 and if you still have the pieces of your crown, bring them with you to your appointment. Your emergency dentist will offer to repair the crown if possible, or offer a replacement crown restoration.
Dental Abscess or Tooth Infection
- Gently rinse with warm saltwater solution three times a day or after every meal.
- Use a cold compress to reduce any inflammation.
- If your infection is hurting you, use over the counter pain medication.
- Avoid foods and drinks that can inflame and irritate the infected area or tooth. This includes spicy foods, hot and cold foods, crunchy or brittle foods, and foods with small pieces.
- Don’t use alcohol or tobacco products as this can make infection and inflammation worse.
- Contact DiBartola Dental by dialing (412) 221-9440 to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Our dentists can offer solutions such as
root canal therapy and antibiotics to help treat infections and dental abscesses.
Broken or Dislocated Jaw
- Avoid moving your jaw as much as possible. This includes speaking, eating, yawning, etc.
- If you do need to eat, avoid solid foods and stick to a liquid diet.
- Use cold compresses and pain medication to control pain and swelling.
- Contact DiBartola Dental by dialing (412) 221-9440 to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Our emergency dentists can provide dental treatment and refer you to a specialist if necessary.
- If you can’t make it to our dental office, visit the nearest emergency room. They can help address immediate issues such as severe pain and breathing difficulties and can help ensure your jaw stays still to aid healing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is emergency dentistry covered by insurance?
Emergency dentistry services are vital treatments, so your insurance provider should cover some or all of the costs. Since emergency dental care often requires treatment on short notice, we can help you contact your insurance provider as soon as possible and get answers about what treatments they’ll cover. Rest assured that we won’t deny you emergency dentistry based on your status. We can even help you cover the cost of your care with our flexible financing options including third-party financing through CareCredit.
Does DiBartola Dental offer emergency tooth extraction?
Our dentists may recommend tooth extraction if your tooth is causing uncontrollable pain or is severely damaged. However, before approving you for extraction, they’ll present you with any other valid options you may have. Our emergency dentists will do everything they can to save a tooth before recommending extracting it.
Does DiBartola Dental offer walk-in emergency dentistry?
To make sure we can treat your dental emergency properly, we ask that you call us and schedule an appointment by dialing (412) 221-9440 as soon as possible. If your dental emergency is making it difficult to communicate, we recommend using our online appointment request form. Be sure to detail your emergency and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
What’s the difference between general and emergency dentistry?
General dentistry is a more basic form of care centered around prevention and treating oral health issues on a scheduled basis. Emergency dentistry focuses on the prompt treatment of sudden dental crises to relieve pain and discomfort and avoid lasting damage. Emergency dental care extends beyond general dentistry and may involve a wide array of services, including oral surgeries like tooth extraction.
Choose DiBartola Dental For Emergency Dentistry, 24/7!
The sooner a dental emergency is treated, the better it is for the patients’ oral health. You can trust our skilled emergency dentists to promptly treat your dental emergency with as much care as possible. DiBartola Dental offers 24/7 emergency dental care to patients near our Bridgeville office and patients from surrounding areas such as Heidelberg, Carnegie, & Upper Saint Clair, PA.
If you’re in need of emergency dentistry services near you, then contact our Bridgeville dental office by dialing (412) 221-9440. You can also request an appointment online and one of our friendly team members will get back to you shortly.