Emergency Dentist — Castle Rock, WA

Toothaches

Is my toothache a dental emergency? Yes, when faced with a toothache in Castle Rock, you should plan to schedule an appointment with your dentist right away. Unless there is a piece of food stuck between your teeth that is causing the pain, it is likely there is something more serious going on that requires professional assistance.

How you should handle a toothache: If you find there is a piece of food stuck between your teeth, use dental wax or a water irrigator to remove it. You should notice an immediate decrease in discomfort if this is the problem. Otherwise, you may have an infection, in which you should plan to take an OTC pain reliever and wait to see your dentist.

How we treat toothaches: A toothache can form for many reasons – a cavity, a cracked tooth, sensitivity, facial trauma, gum disease, and more. Depending on the cause of the pain and what is happening to cause the toothache, we will take digital images and perform a visual examination to determine how best to treat the issue. It may be that we need to apply a tooth-colored filling or dental crown. We might also need to perform periodontal therapy, a root canal, or tooth extraction.

Chipped Tooth

Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? Although it might seem shocking to lose a piece of your tooth, it may not be necessary to seek professional help on the same day. Yes, you’ll need to get in within a few days to have your tooth treated, but in most cases, you can take care of the issue at home until it’s time to see your emergency dentist in Castle Rock.  

How you should handle a chipped tooth: After cleaning your mouth and retrieving the broken piece of tooth, you can place dental wax over the damaged area to keep your lips, cheeks, or tongue from being damaged by the chipped tooth. You’ll need to avoid chewing or eating on that side of your mouth as well, as you don’t want to do anything to cause further harm.

How we treat chipped teeth: Typically, in a situation with a chipped tooth, we will need to either use direct bonding to cover the area and restore the tooth’s full structure or have a custom veneer created. Ultimately, the option is yours, but most people tend to have more than one veneer put into place when choosing this type of treatment.

Cracked Tooth

Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency? Yes, you should expect to receive immediate dental care if you suffer a cracked tooth. This type of damage may be undetectable to the naked eye, but a small fracture or break may exist beneath the gumline and need timely treatment to avoid worsening symptoms.

How you should handle a cracked tooth: Treating a cracked tooth at home requires taking an OTC pain reliever to minimize discomfort, using a cold compress to keep swelling down (if you’re experiencing any), and avoiding eating on that side of your mouth. If you discover there are some jagged edges around the tooth, you can use dental wax to cover it and prevent further damage to your soft oral tissues.

How we treat cracked teeth: At our dental office, Dr. Kennington will start by checking the tooth for any cracks, breaks, or minor fractures. Once we find it and establish how severe the damage is, we’ll determine which method of treatment will work best to restore the tooth’s natural structure. It may be that we recommend direct bonding, a dental crown, or a tooth extraction.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? You will want to reach out and schedule an appointment with Dr. Kennington sooner rather than later should you find that you have very sensitive teeth.  

How you should handle very sensitive teeth: Attempting to eat or drink anything hot or cold will leave you in much pain while at home with sensitive teeth. Instead, consume only lukewarm beverages and foods and be careful to avoid anything that might be hard or crunchy.

How we treat very sensitive teeth: Very sensitive teeth can arise as a result of advanced gum disease, aggressive brushing, a cavity, a cracked tooth, an abscess, or even whitening your teeth too often. Based on Dr. Kennington’s findings when performing a thorough examination, he will decide if you need only prescription mouthwash or fluoride treatment for your sensitive teeth. If caused by a more serious problem like gum disease, a cavity, a cracked tooth, or an infection, you may need to undergo periodontal therapy, root canal therapy, a tooth-colored filling, or tooth extraction.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is my knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Yes, you should receive immediate help if you accidentally knock out one of your teeth. A loose tooth in Castle Rock cannot be saved if you don’t see your dentist within the hour.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: The best way to address a knocked-out tooth at home is to first pick up the tooth (if possible) and place it in a container of milk. You’ll want to rinse out your mouth to flush away any debris. You can attempt to reinsert the tooth into the socket and gently bite down to hold it in place, but if you’re unsuccessful, you may return it to a container of milk that you will bring to your appointment.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: If we see you within the hour, there may be a good chance that we can save it. Using a splint to hold the tooth in place, it will reintegrate with the surrounding tissues over time. However, if the tooth is too badly damaged or no longer “live,” we will begin to discuss which method of tooth replacement you want to pursue. This can be a denture, dental bridge, or dental implant.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? When losing a dental crown or filling, you may become worried that the tooth will be vulnerable to food debris and decay. While this is true, you may not need to get in the same day for treatment. You will, however, want to seek treatment within a day or two of losing your restoration to avoid increased sensitivity and damage to your exposed tooth.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: You can find dental cement at your local drugstore if you want to try and re-bond your crown into place. This may not be a successful attempt, so do not worry if you cannot put it back into place. Instead, you can keep it safe in a small container and bring it with you to your appointment. You do not want to use this same material on a filling, though. In the meantime, make sure that you avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and be careful when brushing and cleaning your teeth.

How we treat a lost filling or crown: Your emergency dentist will want to look at the lost crown or filling to see if it can be re-bonded into place. If it cannot, the only possible solution is to receive a new tooth-colored filling or have a customized metal-free dental crown created to better protect your vulnerable tooth.

Broken Dentures

Is my broken denture a dental emergency? You should schedule an appointment right away should you notice that you have broken dentures in Castle Rock.

How you should handle a broken denture: You should never try to wear your broken denture, as this can cause harm to your oral tissues and nearby healthy teeth. Although you may not want to skip a day or two without your teeth, it’s far better than damaging your smile even further. Instead, do not try to wear your denture until you can see your emergency dentist.

How we treat broken dentures: Dr. Kennington will need to look at your denture to determine how serious the break is. If it’s only minor, we may be able to fix it in-house with composite resin; however, if the break is severe enough, you’ll need to decide whether to have a new denture put into place or switch to a dental bridge or dental implants.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a loose permanent tooth a dental emergency? A loose permanent tooth is not something that is supposed to happen, so you’ll need to get in right away for an emergency appointment if this happens to you.

How you should handle loose permanent teeth: To avoid accidentally knocking it out, try to avoid eating anything hard, crunchy, or chewy, particularly on that side of your mouth. Do not attempt to poke or prod at it with your tongue or finger either.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: While it’s normal for children to watch their baby teeth fall out, loose permanent teeth are never supposed to happen. If they do, it’s likely because of an infection, advanced gum disease, or facial trauma. To fix the problem, we’ll need to perform periodontal therapy, a root canal, or tooth extraction before discussing tooth replacement options like dental bridges, dentures, or dental implants.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? In most situations, you do not need to seek professional help for a soft tissue injury. However, you are always welcome to visit our office and schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist should you feel more comfortable having a professional look at the situation.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: You’ll first need to rinse out your mouth before applying a clean washcloth or gauze to the bleeding area. Hold in place for 10 minutes so that the bleeding stops. If it doesn’t, go to your local ER for medical attention.

Once the bleeding ceases, you can place a cold compress on the outside of your cheek to help lower inflammation and discomfort.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: Treating soft tissue injuries can require stitches; however, in most cases, they heal on their own. The only potential treatment that can be used to minimize future injuries is a custom mouthguard that you can wear while playing sports.

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Chronic jaw pain can be considered a dental emergency. When it is inhibiting your ability to open and close your mouth, you should plan to schedule an emergency appointment with your dentist right away.

How you should handle jaw pain: You do not want to further harm your jaw joints or cause them to lock up, so you’ll need to be mindful of the types of food that you eat. Stay away from anything hard, crunchy, or overly chewy. If necessary, take an OTC pain reliever to reduce discomfort.

How we treat jaw pain: When it comes to treating jaw pain, Dr. Kennington will need to evaluate the cause. It may be that you have temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) and need specialized therapy to address the inflammation and discomfort. You might also be suffering from teeth grinding, in which you will need a custom mouthguard. The other reason for jaw pain might be that you have impacted or partially erupted wisdom teeth, in which case, Dr. Kennington will need to have them removed.

Learn More About Wisdom Teeth Removal

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

When a piece of food is stuck between your teeth, it’s not considered a dental emergency. Typically, you can remove it by rinsing with warm water and using dental floss. However, if you try to use any other type of object such as tweezers, forks, or even toothpicks, you run the risk of damaging your soft oral tissues as well as your teeth. Should this happen, you’ll then be dealing with a dental emergency that requires treatment.