More than 2 million people go to the emergency room each year for dental-related conditions, according to the American Dental Association. For pain, damage to a natural tooth or restoration, or other urgent conditions and trauma, call your dental professionals near Buffalo NY at the Smile Center.
We are on-call 24/7 to respond quickly to and treat your dental emergency. The sooner you call us, the faster you can get out of pain and get on with your day (or night).
While we do respond quickly, you can take some steps to ease any pain, and to make the process go more smoothly until you get to our office in Cheektowaga.
We’ve outlined a few of the reasons you may be calling us at odd-hours and associated tips, including:
- Toothaches – Use warm water to rinse your mouth. Floss to remove any food or debris that could be irritating your tooth.
- Broken, chipped teeth – Clean the mouth with warm water. Reduce swelling and pain by applying cold to the area (on the outside of your face). Save and gently clean any pieces of the tooth that may have fallen off. If there is bleeding, apply pressure directly to the spot with gauze until the bleeding stops.
- Knocked-out tooth – Hold the tooth by its crown (the part normally residing above the gum line) and gingerly rinse the root. Be careful to keep attached tissue intact. Place the tooth back in its socket properly, but don’t force it. As an alternative to “storing” the dislodged tooth in your mouth, place it in either a container filled with milk or water with a trace of table salt.
- Lost crowns, fillings – Use an OTC dental cement, denture adhesive, toothpaste, or even sugar-free gum to hold the crown in place temporarily or to fill the cavity.
- Broken braces, wires – Cover the end with an orthodontic wax, small cotton ball, beeswax, or gauze to relieve the discomfort from the wires. Do not cut the wire yourself.
- Abscesses – This infection is characterized with a pus-filled swelling on your gum. To help the pain subside, rinse your mouth with salt water (one-half teaspoon for every eight ounces).
In addition to the immediate benefit of getting you out of pain and feeling better, as your emergency dentist near Buffalo NY 14225, at the Smile Center we can prevent any problems over the longer-term.
For instance, the chances of a knocked-out tooth being saved (and not requiring a restoration) are greater if the tooth is placed within one hour of the accident. We can also stop infections from spreading to other parts of the body. Put this number on your speed dial – . Prepare for the unexpected and know that no matter what situation you encounter our knowledgeable staff (not an answering service!) will be available anytime of day to help you through it.