Emergency Dentist Clearwater

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? If you’re struggling with a toothache in Clearwater, you shouldn’t hesitate to call us. After all, even mild, consistent discomfort could be due to serious dental damage, and we want to provide the restorative care you need before it gets any worse.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Until your appointment with Dr. Cannady, we recommend not chewing on that side of your mouth and taking OTC pain medication as directed. Rinsing with warm saltwater periodically is also a good idea since it helps alleviate inflammation and prevent infection.

How We Treat Toothaches Oftentimes, a tooth-colored filling or dental crown is the answer. If your toothache is stemming from an infection, however, then root canal therapy may be needed. The good news is that this procedure is virtually painless thanks to powerful numbing agents and our helpful aftercare instructions.

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? The answer to this question depends largely on the symptoms you’re experiencing. For instance, if you’ve chipped a tooth but aren’t experiencing pain, discomfort, or sensitivity, then a same-day visit with Dr. Cannady likely isn’t necessary.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth Since a chipped tooth can break further, it’s important that you don’t place any pressure on it. It’s also important that you don’t touch it with your finger. Instead, rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically and cover the tooth with some dental wax or sugar-free gum. This will help prevent an infection from developing as well as soft tissue injuries.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth You have several options at our Clearwater office, starting with cosmetic dental bonding. We also offer veneers and Lumineers for patients who are interested in fixing the chip as well as other imperfections, like noticeable gaps or permanent stains.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, especially if you are experiencing abnormal symptoms, like persistent sensitivity or pain when biting down. So, don’t wait – schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Clearwater. The sooner you do, the sooner they can alleviate your pain and restore your healthy tooth!

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth It goes without saying that you shouldn’t eat on that side of your mouth, especially tortilla chips, popcorn, and other crunchy foods. Instead, rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically, eat only extremely soft foods, and, if needed, take OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth If the cracked tooth can be saved, then the solution will likely be covering it with a dental crown. If it cannot be saved, then we will need to extract it. Then, we will replace it with a custom dental bridge or implant so you don’t have a gap in your smile moving forward.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? That depends largely on how severe your symptoms are and how long they’ve persisted. For instance, if you’ve been dealing with considerable sensitivity for over 24 hours, you should call us to schedule an emergency visit ASAP.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth We have a few recommendations, starting with steering clear of hot/cold foods and drinks. Switching to a desensitizing toothpaste and taking OTC pain medication can help alleviate your symptoms in the short-term as well.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth First, Dr. Cannady needs to complete a comprehensive oral exam. Once he has pinpointed the root of the problem, he can review your treatment options, from a tooth-colored filling to root canal treatment, and answer any questions you have about your care.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Since the tooth starts to die after about 15 minutes, a lost tooth in Clearwater is absolutely a dental emergency. We recommend calling us ASAP so we can schedule a same-day visit as well as walk you through how to handle this dental injury in the meantime.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth To preserve the root surface cells and protect the tooth from further harm, it’s important that you pick it up by the crown (the chewing surface), rinse it gently with clean water to remove debris, and place it back in its socket. If the tooth doesn’t slide back into position easily, then you can place it in a clean container filled with milk or saline solution instead.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth First, we will determine if we can save your tooth. If we can’t, don’t worry – that’s where dental implants come in. With this state-of-the-art solution, we can replace both the root and crown of your tooth, giving you a complete smile and a strong bite again.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Since your tooth is vulnerable without the restoration, we do recommend calling us right away. That said, there are some cases when same-day care isn’t necessary.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown Placing your restoration in a small, clean container is an important first step. After that, transition your focus to protecting your tooth by not chewing on that side of your mouth and rinsing periodically with clean, room-temperature water.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns How we restore the look, health, and function of your tooth will depend on a few factors, including the type of restoration and how old it is. For example, if a dental crown came loose but it’s in good condition and it’s relatively new, we may recommend re-cementing it back in place instead of creating a new one.

Broken Dentures

• Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? You might not think your damaged dentures are an emergency, but you could hurt your gums, remaining teeth, jaw, and bite alignment by wearing them in their current condition. It’s best to contact us for an appointment as soon as possible.
• How You Should Handle a Broken Denture: Avoid wearing them to protect the tender tissues inside your mouth, and don’t try to fix them yourself with super glue or other household supplies. These aren’t usually intended for oral use and can be toxic if ingested.
• How We Treat Broken Dentures: If the teeth of your dentures are chipped or cracked, we might be able to repair them with dental bonding. Otherwise, we may need to reline or replace your restoration. We might recommend implant dentures if you’re seeking a more permanent solution.

Loose Permanent Tooth

• Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Sometimes also referred to as extruded or partially dislodged, a loose adult tooth deserves immediate attention because it’s at risk of falling out.
• How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth: Contact us for a same-day emergency appointment. Then, avoid biting or chewing anything with it, especially hard or sticky foods. It’s usually safe to rinse with salt water to naturally disinfect your mouth, but brushing and flossing could cause harm.
• How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: Sometimes, our team can provide a stint or other oral appliance that can stabilize your tooth long enough to reintegrate with your jawbone. However, if it’s severely decayed, damaged, or diseased, Dr. Cannady might recommend extraction and replacement.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

• Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? The tender tissues in your mouth tend to bleed when they’re hurt, like if you sustain a blow to the face during a sporting event, which can be intimidating. If the cut is minor, our team in Clearwater may be able to assist.
• How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue. First, rinse your mouth gently with water to remove any bacteria, dirt, and other debris. Then, place a clean washcloth or piece of gauze and apply firm but gentle pressure to slow bleeding. A cold compress can sometimes help reduce aches and inflammation.
• How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: We can suture the wound closed and provide antibiotics if necessary. However, if the wound is large or bleeding doesn’t stop after 10 minutes, you should head to the closest ER for immediate attention.

Learn More About Mouthguards

Jaw Pain

• Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? A stiff or sore jaw doesn’t automatically require an emergency visit, but if you experience chronic or severe pain, please call us right away.
• How You Should Handle Jaw Pain: In many cases, taking over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol or ibuprofen can safely address your symptoms until you arrive for your scheduled visit. You might also apply an ice pack for 15 minutes at a time for a temporary numbing reprieve.
• How We Treat Jaw Pain: The treatment depends on the underlying cause of your discomfort. We offer various options to address TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders, including occlusal adjustments/equilibration, a customized occlusal splint, and more.

Learn  More About Treating TMJ

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

You might not think that something lodged in your teeth is problematic, but unfortunately, plenty of patients have accidentally hurt their teeth or gums trying to remove stuck objects. You can rinse your mouth with water or gently floss to see if that helps, but you could injure your enamel or connective tissues trying to extract the item with utensils or other household goods. Contact us for an appointment so we can safely remove whatever has become trapped while preserving your dental health.