Dental Emergency – Greenwood, SC

Stop Your Discomfort and Protect Your Smile

Two different types of dental emergencies can appear, according to the dentists at Tylan Creek Family Dentistry. This includes long-term problems related to decay or infections (which usually trigger a toothache) and physical trauma, which often occur as a result of playing contact sports without proper protection. Regardless of the cause, we can help you get out of pain and put you on the right path towards treatment. All you need to do is call our office and we’ll get you scheduled for an appointment!

How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies

A chipped tooth standing next to a first-aid kit.

While dental emergencies can be managed briefly at home, you still need to call our office to set up an emergency appointment. We’ll always have a doctor on call daily to speak with you and get you seen, ideally for the same day. Once you call, you can also get helpful advice on what you need to do next. Depending on the type of emergency, you’ll find useful tips below designed to improve your condition.

Toothaches

Start by flossing the tooth in question to make sure no food debris is stuck and causing the discomfort in the first place. You can also rinse your mouth out with cool water to help loosen any foreign debris. If discomfort continues, take ibuprofen, apply a cold compress to your mouth and call our office.

Chipped/Broken Tooth

Find any pieces of the tooth that you can and bring them to our office. You can apply a cold compress to your cheek in 10-minute intervals, just make sure to remove it for an additional 10 minutes to avoid damaging your facial tissue. Do not chew using your damaged tooth. You can also cover it with dental wax or sugar-free chewing gum to prevent accidentally cutting your oral tissue.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Locate the tooth and bring it to our office. To keep the tooth preserved, you can place it back into your open socket (after gently rinsing off any dirt from the tooth) or in a container of milk, salt water, saline solution, or saliva. Get to our office within the hour and do not touch the root or remove any tissue that’s still attached.

Lost Filling/Crown

Do your best to locate the restoration and bring it to the practice. If a filling is lost, you can cover it temporarily with dental wax. If you’ve lost a crown, use either dental cement, denture adhesive, or toothpaste to reattach the tooth until you arrive. Make sure to avoid chewing on that tooth until you get it restored.

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

A young man with dental pain.

While dental emergencies are often out of your control, there are ways to reduce your overall risk. Consider the following tips below and you’ll be far less likely to experience one:

Brush your teeth at least twice a day using fluoridated toothpaste.
Floss daily.
Visit our office once every six months for a routine cleaning and exam.
Use mouthguards and/or nightguards if you play contact sports/suffer from teeth grinding and clenching.
Never use your teeth as a tool to open bottles or packages.
Avoid chewing on very hard foods or objects, such as hard candy, popcorn kernels, ice, pens, pencils or fingernails.

The Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies

An older woman visiting the dentist.

Depending on the situation, the cost of your dental emergency in Greenwood can vary. While minor issues like toothaches caused by decay may only need a dental filling, more serious concerns (such as a serious physical injury) might need a series of extractions and restorations to rebuild your smile. We’ll make sure to get you out of discomfort as soon as possible and go over your treatment options in great detail. From there, we can better estimate the cost of your treatment and determine your financial options from there.