Emergency Dentist Newton

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? If you’re struggling with a toothache in Newton, don’t hesitate to contact our team at Waban Dental Group! Once we know a little more about your symptoms, including how severe they are and how long they have persisted, we will determine if same-day care is needed.

How You Should Handle a Toothache For long-lasting relief, you need to come to our office so we can pinpoint the root of the problem. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can alleviate soreness, sensitivity, and discomfort in the meantime, like eating soft, bland foods, rinsing with warm saltwater, and taking OTC pain medication.

How We Treat Toothaches Whether your toothache is a result of a small crack in your enamel or a large cavity, a dental filling or crown is often the solution. That said, there are some cases where more extensive restorative care is required, like a root canal.

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? That depends largely on the size of the chip. If it’s small and you’re not experiencing any abnormal symptoms, like persistent sensitivity, then a same-day visit likely isn’t necessary. Of course, we still recommend calling us so we can determine the best way to restore the missing structure and prevent the tooth from breaking further.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth In addition to calling us, we recommend gently rinsing your mouth with clean, room-temperature water. Then, use some dental wax or sugar-free gum to cover the sharp edge. This will prevent the tooth from breaking further while also protecting the soft tissue in your mouth.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Good news: there are several ways we can restore a chipped tooth. Veneers are one of the most popular options because, in addition to being able to fix significant imperfections, they can last for 10 years or more with proper care.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, absolutely! That said, cracks aren’t always visible. So, it’s important to call us if you start to experience abnormal dental symptoms, including pain when biting down.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth There are a few steps we recommend taking to prevent the tooth from breaking further, starting with not chewing on that side of your mouth. It’s also important that you don’t eat crunchy foods, smoke, or chew on ice.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Once you arrive at our office, one of our talented dentists at Waban Dental Group will assess the damage and review your treatment options. Oftentimes, a cracked tooth can be saved. If yours is damaged beyond the point of repair, don’t worry – we can replace it with a custom dental bridge or implant.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Not necessarily. One easy way to tell if you should schedule an emergency appointment is by assessing your symptoms. For example, if they are getting worse with each passing day, you should call us ASAP.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth Switching to a desensitizing toothpaste is a great first step. We also recommend not drinking hot coffee, ice-cold water, or anything else that could exacerbate your symptoms. You can also take OTC pain medication as directed (if needed).

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth Dental sensitivity could be the result of everything from a small cavity to a severe infection. That’s why the initial exam is so important! Once we know what the root of the problem is, we can determine which restorative treatment (or treatments) are needed.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, and it’s important that you act fast so that we have the highest chance of being able to save your tooth. So, don’t wait – call our Newton dental team ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth Calling us is an important first step. In addition to scheduling an appointment at our office, we will walk you through how to preserve the tooth – from picking it up by the crown to placing it in a clean container filled with milk.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth If you get to our office within the hour and your tooth is in good condition, there’s a good chance we’ll be able to save it. If that’s not an option, don’t worry – that’s where dental bridges and implants come in. With these tooth-replacement solutions, we can seamlessly fill the gap in your smile, restoring your confidence, oral health, and bite strength in the process.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Since your tooth is vulnerable to damage without the restoration securely in place, we do recommend scheduling an appointment with us the same day. If that’s not possible, don’t worry – we will walk you through what to do until you arrive.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown In addition to placing your restoration in a small, clean container for safekeeping, we recommend doing what you can to protect your tooth from harm. That starts with rinsing periodically with clean, room-temperature water and extends to not chewing on that side of your mouth.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns Oftentimes, we recommend replacing your existing restoration with a new one. That said, we will review all of your treatment options at your visit so you can decide what’s best for your smile.

Broken Dentures

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Yes. While not life-threatening, broken dentures affect daily function and oral health, so they should be treated quickly.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture:

• Stop using the dentures to avoid further damage.
• Store them in a clean container.
• Don’t try to repair them with glue or adhesives.

How We Treat Broken Dentures: We’ll assess the damage and may repair the denture in-office or send it to a lab. If repairs aren't possible, we’ll discuss replacement options.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Permanent teeth should never feel loose. Call our Newton office right away if you notice movement in any adult tooth.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth:

• Avoid wiggling or touching the tooth with your fingers or tongue.
• Don’t bite down on hard foods or objects.
• Keep the area clean and avoid flossing near the tooth.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: We’ll determine the cause, whether it’s trauma, gum disease, or bone loss, and stabilize the tooth with splints or explore surgical options if necessary.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? These types of injuries usually result from slips and falls or sports-related contact, while most aren’t emergencies, they can be. If your injury has been bleeding for longer than 10 minutes, head to the nearest emergency room for treatment.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue:

• Rinse with warm salt water.
• Apply pressure with gauze to stop bleeding.
• Use a cold compress to reduce swelling.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: Once you arrive, we’ll clean the area, check for further trauma, and may apply stitches if needed.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? It can be if the pain is chronic, sudden, severe, or accompanied by swelling or difficulty opening your mouth.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain:

• Apply a cold compress in 15-minute intervals to reduce swelling.
• Take over-the-counter pain relief to reduce discomfort.
• Avoid hard or chewy foods that might make the pain worse.

How We Treat Jaw Pain: We’ll evaluate your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and bite, take X-rays if needed, and create a treatment plan according to the results. We might recommend a night guard, bite adjustment, or even orthodontics.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is Something Stuck Between the Teeth a Dental Emergency? In most cases, no. However, if an object is lodged between your teeth that is causing pain or damage to surrounding teeth, it needs to be removed as soon as possible.

How You Should Handle Something Stuck Between the Teeth:

• Use floss in a “C” shape around one of the affected teeth to drag the object down.
• Rinse vigorously with warm salt water.
• Gently push a toothpick between the teeth (not into the gums) and leave it for one or two minutes, then use floss to remove the object again.

How We Treat Something Stuck Between the Teeth: We use special dental tools to safely remove the object and check for damage or infection in the surrounding area.