Dental Emergency Care: Not Currently Offered
Athens, AL
Important: emergency dental care isn't currently available at Singing River Dentistry in Athens. If you're having a dental emergency, contact a dental office that offers emergency appointments or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away, and call 911 if you're having trouble breathing or swallowing.
 A dental emergency can start with a fall, a hard bite or a toothache that suddenly gets worse. When it happens, the first few minutes count, and so does knowing who can actually see you.
This page walks through where to turn, how to handle common dental emergencies until you're seen, and how our team can help with non-emergency care once the urgent problem has been treated.
Can Singing River Dentistry in Athens Help With a Dental Emergency?
Not at this time. Our Athens office doesn't currently offer emergency dental services. That includes same-day emergency visits, walk-in emergency care and after-hours help. If you're dealing with any of the situations below, please get care somewhere else right away.
When to Call 911 or Go to the ER
Head to the nearest hospital emergency room, or call 911, if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling in your face and a fever, bleeding that won't slow down with steady pressure, or an injury that leaves your jaw hard to open or close or your bite feeling off.
When to Call an Emergency Dental Office
For a knocked-out or broken tooth, severe tooth pain or swelling in your gums, call a dental office that offers emergency appointments as soon as possible. If none are open, the American Dental Association recommends going to your local emergency room.
Describe What Happened
When you call, explain what happened and when, where it hurts, and whether you have swelling, bleeding or a fever. If a tooth or a piece of one came out, bring it with you.
Some Common Dental Emergencies
These steps can help protect your teeth and keep you more comfortable while you get to an emergency provider.
Knocked-Out Teeth
Pick the tooth up by the crown, the chewing surface, and avoid touching the root. If it's dirty, give it a gentle rinse with water. Don't scrub it, let it dry out or wrap it in tissue. The best place for an adult tooth is back in its socket, so try to ease it in. If that doesn't work, keep it in milk, in your mouth next to your cheek, or in a tooth preservation kit, and see an emergency dentist right away. According to the American Association of Endodontists, the best window is within 30 minutes, though a tooth can sometimes be saved after an hour or more.
Baby teeth are different. If your child knocks one out, don't put it back. Keep it moist and get your child to a dentist who handles emergencies as soon as you can.
Cracked or Broken Teeth
Rinse with warm water, then hold a cold compress on the outside of your cheek to limit swelling. Collect any broken pieces, avoid chewing on that side, and have the tooth checked right away by a dental office that offers emergency care, especially if the break came from an injury or the tooth hurts or bleeds.
Dental Pain and Trauma
For a sudden, severe toothache, rinse with warm water and use floss to gently clear out any trapped food. Don't put aspirin or other pain medicine directly on your gums. Pain after a blow to the mouth, or pain that keeps getting worse, should be evaluated quickly by an emergency dental provider.
Dental Abscesses
An abscess is a pocket of infection that can cause throbbing pain, swelling, a fever or a bad taste in your mouth. It won't clear up on its own, and an untreated infection can turn serious. A warm salt water rinse may ease discomfort while you arrange prompt care with an emergency dental provider. Go to the ER right away if the swelling comes with a fever and you can't reach a dentist, or if it becomes hard to breathe or swallow.
Excessive Bleeding
Gently clean the area with water, then press clean gauze or a clean cloth firmly against it and hold steady pressure for a full 15 minutes. A cold compress on the outside of your face can help too. If the bleeding hasn't slowed after that, keep pressing and get to an emergency room.
Quick Tips to Manage Pain and Discomfort
These comfort measures can help while you're on your way to care, but they're not a substitute for being seen.
Rinse with Warm Salt Water
Swishing gently with warm salt water can ease discomfort around a sore tooth or tender gums. Spit it out afterward rather than swallowing it.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Nonprescription pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can take the edge off. Follow the label directions, check with a pharmacist or doctor if you have health conditions or take other medications, and never hold a pill against your gums.
Cold Compress
For swelling, wrap an ice pack or cold compress in a thin cloth and hold it against your cheek for short stretches.
Avoid Triggers
Very hot, cold or sugary foods and drinks can make a sore tooth hurt more. Stick with soft, lukewarm foods and chew on the other side until you're seen.
Non-Emergency Care at Our Athens Office
After your emergency has been treated, the team at Singing River Dentistry can see you for scheduled follow-up treatment. Depending on what you need, our Athens dentists may recommend a tooth filling, a dental crown, a dental bridge or a root canal, or talk with you about other restorative dentistry options.
Some problems can usually wait for a scheduled visit, as long as you're comfortable: a filling or crown that's come loose, a minor chip (often fixable with dental bonding), or jaw soreness that comes and goes, which may call for TMJ treatment. Routine dental exams and teeth cleanings, plus a sports mouth guard for active kids and adults, can lower the odds of an emergency in the first place.
As a reminder, our office doesn't currently provide emergency dental care. To book a checkup, a follow-up visit or other non-emergency treatment, call 256-867-0090 during business hours or send us an appointment request online.
Request a Non-Emergency Appointment
|
