Emergency Dentist Chicago
Welcome to ABC Dental – We’ve Got You!
Dental emergencies are quite frightening and often painful. We recommend that if you experience a dental emergency you call our office immediately. 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 same day. Don’t delay treatment of your dental emergency because the pain and injury almost always get worse. Also, postponing treatment will only make the injury worse and make the likelihood of being able to save the 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 same day, or at the worst, next day.
We know that there is a wide selection of dentists in Chicago. We’re so confident you’ll love us, we offer free initial consultations and second opinions on treatment plans and dental procedures.
Come 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?
If you’ve knocked out a tooth, it’s essential you see a dentist immediately. When a tooth exits the mouth, tissues, nerves, and blood vessels become damaged very quickly. In some intances 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-intigrate into the mouth.
If your tooth gets knocked out, here is what you should do:
- Call our office.
- Pick up the tooth by the crown and rinse it under warm water. DO NOT touch the root.
- If possible, place it back into its socket – if not tuck it into the cheek pouch.
- 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 important to keep the tooth from drying out.
- 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 my loosen their crown or filling is while eating.
Once that happens, you’ll notice that the affected tooth may be incredibly sensitive to temperature changes and pressure. Crowns generally become loose because the tooth beneath is decaying. The decay causes shape changes in the teeth – meaning that the crown no longer fits.
If a crown has dropped out of the mouth, 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 is out of the mouth for a long period of time, the teeth may shift or sustain further damage.
If your filling or crown falls out, here’s what you should do:
- Clove oil can alleviate pain – apply it gently to the affected tooth with a clean cotton swab.
- In some instances, you can use dental cement from the pharmacy and reattach the crown. This is a temporary solution. You’ll still need to have our dentist evaluate the tooth, but this solution can tie you over if you are not able to make it to the office immediately.
- If the crown is lost, smear the top of the tooth with dental cement to alleviate discomfort.
- 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. Where decay is noted, this will be treated and a new crown will be made.
I’ve cracked my tooth, what do I do?
The teeth are strong, but they can still be fractured, chipped, cracked, or broken. Sometimes fractures are fairly painless, but if the crack extends down into the root, it is likely that the pain will be extreme.
Fractures, cracks, and breaks can take several different forms, but are generally caused by trauma, grinding, and biting.
If you’ve cracked or fractured your tooth, you’ll need to be seen at our office immediately.
I’ve broken my tooth, what can I do until I can get to the dentist?
- Call our office.
- Rinse the tooth fragment and the mouth with lukewarm water.
- If you’re bleeding, apply gauze to the area.
- You can also use a cold compress on the outside of the cheek to reduce some of the pain and swelling.
- If you cannot get to us immediately, you can use dental cement to cover the the area/tooth.
- Take a topical pain reliever.
Broken and fractured teeth can sometimes be repaired, although if the crack extends into the root a root canal may be necessary.
My tooth is loose, what do I do?
It can be a scary thing 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, there is a good chance that the tooth can be saved without 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, there is a chance that it can be saved.
Again, do not touch the root.
- Call our office.
- Pick up the tooth by the crown and rinse it under warm water. DO NOT touch the root.
- If possible, place it back into its socket – if not tuck it into the cheek pouch.
- 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 important to keep the tooth from drying out.
- Get to our office, quickly and safely.
It is important to call our office immediately to make an appointment. In the meantime, use a cold compress and over-the-counter medications to relieve pain. Also, try to not eat or wiggle the tooth any further.