Emergency Dental Help in Chicago

Dental emergencies can be scary and are often painful. We recommend calling our office immediately if you experience a dental emergency. 

We have time slots that we reserve for same-day dental emergency appointments because we understand that the best chance for a tooth’s survival is immediate and appropriate treatment.

Whether you’ve injured your tooth through trauma, grinding, biting on a hard object, or any other means, we’re here to treat you the same day. Don’t delay your dental emergency treatment because the pain and injury almost always get worse. Also, postponing treatment will only make the damage worse and make the likelihood of being able to save the tooth less likely.

Call our office immediately if you have a dental emergency. Let the front staff know it’s an emergency, and they will do their best to schedule the same day or, at the worst, the next day.

​​We know that there is a wide selection of dentists in Chicago​. We’re confident you’ll love us; we offer ​free initial consultations and second opinions on treatment plans and dental procedures. 

​See why our patients love us.

Types of Dental Emergencies and How to Deal with Them

​What do I do if I knocked out my tooth?

You must see a dentist immediately if ​you’ve knocked out a tooth. When a tooth is knocked or falls out, tissues, nerves, and blood vessels become damaged very quickly. In some instances, your tooth can be saved if it can be inserted back ​into its socket within an hour​. In the first hour, there is still a chance that the tissues can grow and heal, enabling the tooth to re-integrate into the mouth.

​If your tooth gets knocked out, here is​ what you should do:

1. Call our office.
2. DO NOT touch the root. But rinse it under warm water.
3. If possible, place the tooth back into its socket – if not, tuck it into the cheek pouch.
4. If the tooth cannot be placed in the mouth, put the tooth into a cup of milk, saliva, or water as a last resort. It is essential to keep the tooth from drying out.
5. Get to our office quickly and safely.

​Our dentist will try to replace the tooth in its ​socket. In some cases, the tooth will reattach, but if the inner mechanisms of ​it are ​significantly damaged, root canal therapy might be necessary.

I’ve lost my filling or crown; what do I do?

The most common way someone may loosen their crown or filling is while eating. ​

Once ​that happens, you’ll notice that the affected tooth may be sensitive to hot or cold drinks, or even pressure. Crowns generally become loose because the underlying tooth has decayed. The decay causes the underlying tooth to change shape, so the crown no longer fits.

If a crown has completely come off, make a dental appointment as soon as possible. Keep the crown in a cool, safe place because there is a possibility that we can reinsert it. If the crown stays off the tooth for an extended period of time, the teeth may shift or sustain further damage.

​If your filling or crown falls out, here’s what you should do:

1. Clove oil can alleviate pain – apply it gently to the affected tooth with a clean cotton swab.​
2. Sometimes, you can use dental cement from the pharmacy and reattach the crown. This is a temporary solution. You’ll still need our dentist to evaluate the tooth, but this solution can tie you over if you cannot make it to the office immediately. ​
3. If the crown is lost, you can apply dental cement to the top of the tooth to alleviate discomfort.
4. DO NOT use any kind of glue to affix the crown.

We will check the crown to see if it still fits. If it does, it will be reattached to the tooth. If the underlying tooth has decayed, it must be evaluated to see if it can be retreated or extracted.

​I’ve cracked my tooth; what do I do?

Teeth are strong, but they ​can still be fractured, chipped, cracked, or broken by trauma, grinding, or biting. Sometimes fractures are relatively painless, but the pain will likely be extreme if the crack extends down into the root.

If ​you’ve cracked or fractured your tooth, you must be seen at our office immediately.

​I’ve broken my tooth, what can I do until I can get to the dentist?

1. Call our office.
2. Rinse the tooth fragment and the mouth with lukewarm water.
3. If you’re bleeding, apply gauze to the area. ​
4. You can also use a cold compress on the outside of the cheek to reduce some of the pain and swelling.
5. If you cannot get to us immediately, you can use dental cement to cover the area/tooth. ​
6. Take a topical pain reliever.

Broken and fractured teeth can sometimes be repaired, although a root canal may be necessary if the crack extends into the root.

​My tooth is loose; what do I do?

​It can be scary to have a permanent tooth go loose or, worse, fall out. This can occur because of trauma or decay. 

If the tooth remains in the mouth, meaning it hasn’t completely fallen out, it might be able to be saved with a root canal.

If the tooth has completely fallen out, it’s best to get to our dental office immediately. If the tooth can be inserted into its socket within an hour, it’s possible it can be saved.

Again, do not touch the root.

1. Call our office.
2. DO NOT touch the root. But rinse the tooth under warm water.
3. If possible, place it back into its socket – if not, tuck it into the cheek pouch.
4. If the tooth cannot be placed in the mouth, put the tooth into a cup of milk, saliva, or water as a last resort. It is essential to keep the tooth from drying out.
5. Get to our office quickly and safely.

It is essential to schedule an appoitnment immediately. Cold compresses and over-the-counter medications can be used to relieve pain until you can get to our offce. Also, try not to eat or wiggle the tooth any further.