Emergency Dentistry Services

Does My Situation “Count” as a Dental Emergency?

If you believe your oral health condition is an emergency, chances are you’re right. Please reach out to us for an appointment. Even if your damaged smile does not require immediate treatment, we want to ensure your safety and start planning for restorative treatment. Some of the most commonly treated emergency dental conditions at TriCorner Dentistry include:

• Replacing knocked out teeth or dental restorations (crowns, bridges, etc.)
• Repairing damaged teeth or dental restorations
• Repairing or replacing damaged or bent partials and full dentures
• Providing root canal therapy to relieve severe toothache and dental sensitivity
• Fixing broken orthodontic wires or brackets
• Removing foreign items stuck between teeth

What Should I do During an Emergency?

First, you should call our team. You can also follow these at-home care instructions:

• Use cool water to clean out your mouth and clean off the tooth or restoration
• Use cold compresses to reduce swelling, relieve pain, and slow bleeding
• If a tooth has been knocked out, try to replace it or store it in a container of milk or water until you reach our office
• Take over the counter pain relievers as directed, but do not apply them directly to the tooth as this can damage soft tissue
• Use floss and brush teeth to dislodge stuck items, but do not use sharp objects

How Can I Avoid Dental Emergencies?

The first step of preventing dental emergencies is maintaining basic oral hygiene by brushing and flossing teeth each day and visiting the dentist two times each year for checkups and teeth cleanings. You should also avoid bad habits like chewing on ice or fingernails. Don’t use your teeth as tools to open packages or crack nuts. Wear mouthguards to protect teeth from damage caused by nighttime teeth grinding and clenching or sports related dental injuries. While store bought mouthguards are available, it may be beneficial to consider a custom crafted sportsguard or nightguard to ensure optimal smile protection.

Dental Emergency FAQ’s – McKinney, TX

Expert Answers to Your Dental Emergency Questions

A dental emergency can quickly place a damper on an otherwise pleasant day. While everyone wants to avoid such a situation, it can happen when it’s least expected. Therefore, one can never have enough information about how to recognize and respond to dental emergencies. Read on to get answers to five of the most commonly asked questions about dental trauma, and if you suspect you’re having one, don’t hesitate to contact us at TriCorner Dentistry so that Dr. Rana Lee can help you get back to normal.

Do I need to go to the emergency room for oral bleeding?

Oral bleeding can be brought on by sudden trauma to the face, a broken tooth or a cut to the soft tissue. The first step to take in such a situation is to rinse the mouth with cool water and then carefully bite down on a moistened tea bag or cotton swab for 10 to 15 minutes. If there is profuse bleeding that continues beyond that point, then you should immediately head to the emergency room.

What’s the typical cause of a toothache?

While a toothache can be brought on by a direct blow to the face that causes a tooth to break, the most common cause is acute bacteria growth that has entered the sensitive inner parts. It’s important in such a situation to immediately contact our office to schedule an emergency visit with Dr. Lee to prevent the infection from getting worse.

If my toothache goes away, do I still need to visit?

If there’s one thing to know about oral bacteria, it’s that they don’t self-correct. That means they only travel in one direction: forward, looking to cause more destruction. Therefore, even if the initial pain from a toothache temporarily subsides, it shouldn’t be misconstrued as the problem being solved. It’s still quite necessary to visit your dentist in McKinney to have your oral health restored.

What should I do for a knocked-out tooth?

If a tooth is dislodged, the first step is to retrieve it by the crown, rinse it under cool water and attempt to reinsert it. If you’re unsuccessful, you can store it in either a cup of water or milk to preserve the roots until you can come in for an emergency visit.

My child plays sports. How can I prevent a dental emergency?

If you’re like most parents, then the idea of your child playing sports can be a little unsettling at times. That’s because whenever bodies are moving around at a fast pace, there is the chance of a collision, which can lead to a dental emergency.

One way to decrease the chances of this happening is to have your child fitted with a custom mouthguard. As opposed to the one-size-fits-all store-bought options, Dr. Lee will specially design an oral appliance that perfectly fits the contour of your child’s mouth to provide the best protection possible.

At TriCorner Dentistry, we know that dental emergencies are absolutely no fun. With the help of your emergency dentist in McKinney, though, you can rest assured that you or a family member can fully recover from any dental trauma.