New Patients (828)-358-1925

Current Patients (828) 252-7304

201 East Chestnut Street, Ste. B Asheville, NC 28801

Handling a Dental Emergency

With the COVID-19 crisis, businesses have been closed or limited to the hours or services they can perform. At Red Maple Dental we’re still offering emergency services and also have the technology of teledentistry to take care of our patients. Dr. Shawna Hoffert, a dentist in Asheville, NC, discusses dental emergencies and what you can do until you can be seen in our office.dentist in asheville, north carolina

Taking Care of a Dental Emergency

The first thing you should do in the case of a dental emergency is to call us right away. It’s important to get you seen as quickly as possible. The following are common dental emergencies that may happen to you and what you can do at home before you come into the office:

Severe Tooth Pain

Severe and sharp tooth pain isn’t something that you should ignore. It can be caused by many conditions, all of which should be treated sooner rather than later. These include tooth decay, an infection, or an abscess. Often, you can’t be sure of which one it is without it being examined by a dentist. Use over the counter pain medication to help keep the pain down and a cold compress if there’s any swelling.

Knocked-Out Tooth

It’s crucial that you don’t panic when an adult tooth is knocked out. You want to try to stay calm and find the tooth that got knocked out. Pick it up by the crown and avoid touching the tooth root at all. Gently rinse it off, but don’t scrub, as that can harm the tooth. Place it in a cup of milk or your own saliva to preserve it as much as possible. You can use a warm, damp washcloth to help stop any bleeding that occurs.

While teledentistry is available, a fix for this is something that you’ll have to be in the office for. Don’t try to put your tooth back by yourself. Dr. Hoffert will have to determine if the tooth is able to be salvaged. If not, our office offers other forms of replacement for missing teeth. Dental implants, for example, are recommended by us and other dental practices as they’re the most natural form of tooth replacement.

Broken Dental Crown or Bridge

While restorations like a dental crown or dental bridge are made to last for a long time, we know that sometimes accidents happen. If your dental crown falls out or breaks, you can retrieve the pieces, but it’s likely that they won’t be able to be reused. Dr. Hoffert will have to craft a new dental crown for that tooth.

For a broken dental bridge, collect all of the pieces. Either at your in-person or teledentistry appointment, Dr. Hoffert can evaluate and see if it can be repaired or if it’s better for a new one to be made.

Your Dentist in Asheville, North Carolina

Whether it’s through a teledentistry appointment or one where you have to come in for an emergency, we’ll take care of you during this crisis. Call us or schedule an appointment online. We hope to see you soon!