Emergency Dental Care

As a Wilsonville emergency dental care provider, our team at Gates Family Dental understands just how traumatic a cracked, broken, or abscessed tooth can be to our patients. Any dental emergency needs to be treated seriously and should not be ignored. That’s why we offer same day emergency dental appointments, so our team can evaluate your oral health emergency and provide peace of mind. Ignoring a serious dental problem can greatly increase the risk of permanent damage occurring, which could result in the need for more extensive and expensive care later on.

To help get you back to looking and feeling your best, here are a few dental emergency tips to keep in mind immediately before visiting our Wilsonville dental office:

• Severe Toothache

  If you’re suffering from a severe toothache, rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm salt water to help calm any inflamed gum tissue. If you believe the cause of the discomfort is something you’ve recently eaten that’s been lodged in your gums, try gently flossing to remove any food that has become lodged between your teeth or under the gum line. If your mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek. Never place aspirin or any other type of painkiller directly against the gum tissue surrounding the toothache as this may damage your gums. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Gates immediately.

• Broken or Chipped Teeth
  

  After suffering a broken or chipped tooth, collect and save any pieces, if possible. Rinse your mouth using warm salt water, and also rinse any of the broken pieces you’ve collected. If your mouth is bleeding, apply a clean piece of gauze and a moist, rolled up paper towel to the affected area for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the lip, cheek, or mouth near the broken or chipped tooth to help reduce swelling and any discomfort. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Gates.

• Knocked-Out Tooth
  

  The trauma of having a tooth knocked out can startle anybody, but it’s important to remain calm. Collect the tooth, holding it by the crown (the part of the tooth usually exposed in the mouth), and gently rinse the root of the tooth off with your saliva or milk if dirty. Do not scrub or remove any attached tissue fragments from the tooth as they hold cells necessary in helping the tooth when replaced in the mouth. Once cleaned, try putting the tooth back in position if possible. Make sure the tooth faces the correct direction. Don’t force the tooth into place. If it’s not possible to place the tooth back into the socket, place the tooth in a small container of milk (or your own collected saliva – never just water). Your odds of saving a knocked out tooth are greatest if you can receive care from Dr. Gates within an hour of the tooth being knocked out.

• Lost Filling
  

  As a temporary solution, try placing a stick of sugar-free gum into the cavity or use an over-the-counter dental cement. Contact Dr. Gates immediately to schedule an appointment.

• Lost Crown

  If a crown falls off, schedule an appointment with Dr. Gates and bring the crown with you. If you can’t visit our office right away and you’re experiencing any discomfort, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, like Ibuprofen or Tylenol. If possible, slip the crown back over the tooth. However, coat the inner surface with a toothpaste, over-the-counter dental cement, or denture adhesive to help hold the crown in position. Do not use any kind of glue or commercial adhesive.

• Dental Abscess

  A dental abscess is an infection that develops around the root of a tooth or in between the gums and teeth. Abscess are a very serious condition that should be evaluated and treated accordingly.If left untreated, in some cases, the infection may spread to other parts of the body and in extreme cases can result in death.