A dental emergency can be a scary experience, especially if you don’t know what how to handle it. Fortunately, we’re here to help! If you experience a dental emergency, call Springs Village Dentistry at 252-303-2598. Emergencies don’t go away on their own. We always leave room in our schedule to fit in anyone who needs same-day emergency dental care. In the moments following an emergency, however, what should you do? Here are a few tips on how to handle the most common dental emergencies:
For mild to severe pain in your tooth, carefully brush and floss around your tooth to remove any food particles that could be causing your discomfort. Then, rinse out your mouth with warm salt water to help clean the area. For any swelling, gently apply a cold compress to the affected area. But if the ache persists, you should come in and see us right away. Your toothache could be caused by advanced tooth decay or an infection, like an abscess, that needs immediate treatment.
If the break or chip was caused by an injury (like falling or getting hit in the face), look around for any fragments lying around. Bring them with you to our office. Clean your mouth with warm water and put a cold washcloth over the injured part of your face. Even if the chip is small and isn’t causing pain, still do call us soon to make an appointment. A chip weakens your tooth and more could break off if you ignore it. There could also be a crack that is hard to see with the naked eye, which would put your sensitive inner tooth at risk for damage. A lost/cracked filling or broken dental restoration are also considered emergencies, so give us a call if you experience either of them!
Getting an adult tooth knocked out of your mouth is a serious injury. The first thing you should do is to find the tooth and carefully pick it up by the crown, not the root. Rinse off any dirt or debris with water or milk. Then, gently try to return it to the tooth socket and bite down on a piece of gauze to hold it in place. If you can’t put it back, keep it moist in a cup of milk and bring it with you to our office so we can reattach it.
If you experience a dental emergency, remain calm and and come see our team at Springs Valley Dentistry. We’re here to set your mind at rest and get you treated as quickly as possible!
Protecting your teeth doesn’t only involve good oral hygiene at home and regular visits to our office. It also means choosing a healthy diet and limiting the risk of trauma to your teeth and jaw. If you participate in contact sports or extreme physical activities, it is important to wear an athletic mouthguard to protect your teeth from damage.
The necessity of a mouthguard is more obvious in some cases than others. Those that play sports that could involve contact with other players, the ground, or equipment, like football, boxing, soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, racquetball, volleyball, tennis, and hockey, can benefit from a mouthguard to protect their teeth and limit the risk of breaking or losing a tooth. However, weightlifters can also benefit from a mouthguard to protect teeth from clenching during heavy lifts. Even those that pursue activities like white water rafting, rock climbing, martial arts, skateboarding, cycling, snowboarding, and gymnastics would benefit from a mouthguard.
A well-fitting athletic mouthguard can help protect your teeth from trauma. However, you should also know how to react in the event of a lost permanent tooth. First, handle the tooth only by its chewing surface. Gently rinse it with milk or water without scrubbing or rubbing it with fabric. Then, place it back into its socket or between the cheek and gums or in a glass of milk to keep it moist while seeking medical treatment. Other dental emergencies like a broken tooth, a severely chipped tooth, jaw fractures, and lip lacerations also warrant urgent treatment!
A custom mouthguard will provide optimal protection with maximum comfort. So if you or a loved one plays a contact sport or participates in another activity that can expose teeth to trauma, our team at Spring Village Dentistry can create a customized mouthguard that’s designed for your unique mouth shape and bite.
If you’re unsure whether you need a sports mouthguard, our team can help you decide. To ask us any questions about protecting teeth during sports or to schedule your next visit to our office, contact us today!
If you dread going to the dentist, you might have odontophobia, or dental anxiety. Maybe you had a bad experience at the dentist once, or perhaps you’re just anticipating feeling a lot of pain. Or maybe you don’t like the idea of having anything in your mouth. Our friendly team cares about your comfort and well-being. Read on for some simple ways to ease your dental anxiety so you can get the quality dental care you need and deserve.
It sounds simple but conscious and deep breathing can work wonders on your central nervous system, which is usually thrown out of whack when you’re feeling panic or anxiety. Inhale for four counts, hold your breath for seven counts, and then slowly exhale for eight counts. Repeat the cycle for a few times until you feel more at ease.
Bring an encouraging friend or family member to your appointment. Facing our fears is always easier with someone by our side to distract us and offer words of support.
At Spring Village Dentistry, we want every patient to feel comfortable and happy to see us, which is why we’ve outlined what you can expect during your visit with us. We utilize the latest technology for enhanced patient comfort and health, and offer an abundance of relaxing amenities like a refreshment bar, warm blankets, soft pillows, sound-isolating headphones, Hulu, and Netflix. And if you’re afraid of pain, we offer sedation options so that you won’t feel anything during your treatment. Our team is more than happy to discuss your options with you any time so that you can have peace of mind even before you’re in our dental chair.
Remember: it’s our #1 goal to provide high-quality, comfortable dental care to you and your family in as stress-free environment as possible! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We hope to see you at Springs Village Dentistry soon!
Did you know that the summer is a perfect time to get your wisdom teeth removed? If you’re waiting on having this simple procedure done, here’s why you shouldn’t wait on scheduling it.
Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars to emerge, usually between 17 and 25 years of age. You can have anywhere from zero to four of these late-blooming teeth. Although they originally helped our ancestors break down a fibrous diet of roots, grasses, nuts, and seeds, they can cause many oral health issues for modern patients due to our smaller jaws.
Wisdom teeth often grow in crooked and can be difficult to keep clean due to their hard-to-reach position. They can also cause overcrowding, misalignment, and damage to neighboring teeth. And if they become impacted (stuck below the gums) or you are unable to keep them clean, they are at high risk for developing decay, cavities, and infection. Infected wisdom teeth can lead to pain, swelling, bad breath, cysts, and gum disease.
Everyone has different recuperation rates after the procedure, depending on how many teeth were removed and if they were impacted. It might be uncomfortable to eat or swallow for the first few days, so eat soft foods only, like smoothies, mashed sweet potatoes, yogurt, and pureed soups. Get ample rest, drink plenty of water, avoid drinking from straws, and keep the extraction sites clean without vigorous rinsing or spitting. The extraction sites usually take several weeks to fully heal, but let us know if you experience swelling or pain that increases in intensity. Carefully follow any additional post-operative instructions we give you at your appointment to ensure a smooth recovery.
Have some downtime this summer and need to get your wisdom teeth taken out? Getting your wisdom teeth extracted isn’t scary—it’s a very safe procedure when performed by our gentle dentists. Contact us to schedule a wisdom teeth removal consultation at our comfortable office!
If you have a toothache, visit Springs Village Dentistry for an emergency examination! Our expert team can determine its cause and treat your pain. But until you can make it to our office, read on for five tips that might ease your pain:
With tooth pain, often a simple and effective solution is to rinse the mouth out with warm, salty water. Gently swish a mixture of one cup warm water and about one teaspoon table salt in your mouth, and spit it out afterwards. This process can often flush out food particles and bacteria causing you discomfort.
A cold compress is a sure way to ease the pain of a toothache. If you don’t have an ice pack on hand, a bag of frozen veggies will work just as well. You can also try rubbing an ice cube on the gums in the affected area.
There are two items from the drugstore that you’ll want to have on-hand, if you don’t already, in case a toothache strikes. First off, an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen can quell the pain while you’re waiting to get the the dentist. An oral anesthetic gel can also prove helpful–just rub the gel on the gums in the affected area and it’ll help to numb the pain.
While they aren’t proven to work in the same way that ibuprofen is, some patients swear by garlic and clove oil for tooth pain relief. Try chewing on a crushed garlic clove to see if it works for you. Clove oil is thought to be as effective as benzocaine in numbing the pain. Rub the oil on the affected area for relief. Additionally, the gel of the aloe vera plant (not the skincare product sold in stores) has natural antibacterial properties that may help ease inflammation and pain. Cut open the leaf and rub its juices into the affected area.
In some case, the pain may be caused by debris stuck between the teeth, such as a stray popcorn kernel. Try flossing to remove any offending particles.
We hope these remedies will help ease your pain until you can get to our office. Your toothache could have a variety of causes, such as an untreated cavity, an abscess, a sinus infection, or impacted wisdom teeth that need to be removed. We can diagnose your issue and get you on the path to relief. Contact us today for an emergency appointment!
Is a gap or missing tooth in your smile causing you to feel self-conscious? With a dental implant procedure, a skilled dentist can give you back a smile that is beautiful and functional. Read on to learn more about this amazing restorative treatment–it may be the solution you’ve been waiting for!
Your dental implant will be specially crafted to fit your smile perfectly. We begin the process by evaluating the health of your gums and jawbone density to determine if you are a good candidate for a dental implant. If things look good, we surgically implant a biocompatible titanium post into your jawbone. This fills the empty space left by your missing tooth. We will place a structure on top of the post that looks and feels exactly like natural teeth. This will be either a crown for a single missing tooth, or a bridge or denture for multiple missing teeth. The result is a mouth full of strong, beautiful teeth that allow you to eat, chew, smile, and speak naturally and with confidence.
If you have a gap or sunken space in your mouth due to a missing teeth, it’s not just an aesthetic condition. Food traps caused by missing teeth can lead to inflammation, infection, abscesses, and gum disease. Getting dental implants makes this much less likely. Moreover, dental implants act and feel like natural teeth. And unlike typical dentures, a dental implant is fixed and can’t slip around in your mouth.
Another great advantage to dental implants is how long they last. With proper care, dental implants can last upwards of 10-15 years. In some cases, they might even last for the rest of your lifetime! So if you’re tired of hiding your smile because of missing teeth or having to plan your life around dentures, dental implants may be the solution for you. A member of our team can walk you through the process and discuss if this option is best for you. We love seeing our patients experience a new lease on life because of a beautiful smile. Let us help make this dream a reality for you.
Achieve a new and improved smile at Springs Village Dentistry. Contact us to schedule a dental implants consultation.
We can’t wait to meet you.
Call (919) 825-3131 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.