Your Dentist in 76017 Can Handle Any Dental Emergency

Nothing ruins holiday fun with family and friends quicker than a dental emergency! Emergencies never happen at convenient times, and they can be frightening and overwhelming. When you have the right team on your side like Dr. Stephen Wardlaw at I-20 Family Dental, you can rest assured that you’re in good hands and have nothing to worry about. Your dentist in 76017 can handle any dental emergency, and when you know what to do, things won’t seem as scary either. Here are some tips on how to handle dental emergencies.

Soft Tissue Injuries

The first thing to do for injuries to your gums or soft tissues is to stop the bleeding. You can do this by applying a cold compress with light pressure. Warm salt-water rinses are soothing for soft tissue injuries if you have access to it. Once you’ve contained the bleeding, please contact our office for further instruction.

A Tooth That’s Been Knocked Out

If your tooth has been knocked out, time is of the essence as we have the best chance of preserving your tooth within one hour of the injury. Try to place the tooth back in its socket if possible, or you can transport it in a cup of milk. It’s important to keep the live cells moist and alive. Try not to touch the tooth too much, and contact your trusted team at I-20 Family Dental immediately to be seen.

An Abscessed or Infected Tooth

This is something to watch out for during the holidays as we indulge in treats and foods we aren’t normally used to eating. Hard or chewy candies can fracture teeth, or pull out old fillings or restorations. These situations can eventually lead to a dental infection if you don’t get them treated right away.

A dental infection may also start off as sensitivity to hot or cold foods or beverages. It’s important to note that a dental infection won’t go away on its own. It will in fact get worse and put your tooth at risk for loss. Dental infections can also travel to other critical areas of the body, so it’s important to treat them right away. Root canal therapy may be able to preserve an infected tooth if you act quickly.

The most important thing to remember during a dental emergency is to contact Dr. Wardlaw right away. The quicker we can get your condition diagnosed, the quicker we can get you back on the path to wellness.