Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies are very common and usually revolve around pain/trauma/infection or issues with a broken/lost crown or filling. Some emergencies can wait, but more severe emergencies should be seen immediately. The office or doctor will help guide you on the urgency. Please call us at (920) 648-8254 with any dental emergency and either the front desk will assist your or Dr. Boysen’s emergency phone number will be available.
Trauma
A “Yes” to any of the following questions requires an immediate visit to the dentist for evaluation.
If the tooth was fractured can you see any bleeding from inside the tooth?
Is there bleeding around the socket, unrelated to a cut in the mouth elsewhere?
Was the tooth moved out of position? Are you unable to fully close as a result?
Was the tooth knocked out of the socket? If yes, save the tooth.
To understand more about the different types of dental trauma and treatment, click here.
Infection and Cracked Teeth
Symptoms
Tooth infections usually present with a dull ache, throb, discomfort when biting, or even severe pain that keeps you up at night. It may also be accompanied by sweeping of the gum (bump) near the tooth. This is the sign of dead nerve. Lingering (greater than 10 seconds) cold and hot (especially hot) is the sign of a dying nerve. A cracked tooth has similar symptoms if the crack has reached the nerve of the tooth. Cracked tooth syndrome is characterized by pain when biting and lingering cold sensitivity.
Treatment
In all the above cases you are most likely in need of a root canal. Ibuprofin/Tylenol usually help with the pain in mild/moderate infections. Antibiotics can be prescribed at your appointment or by calling Dr. Boysen on his emergency line (on answering machine). Antibiotics usually provide pain/pressure relief, as they remove the infection outside of the tooth. It make take 1-2 days before you notice relief. Antibiotics do not permanently fix the problem, which is a dead nerve inside of your tooth. The nerve of the tooth must be removed.
Swelling
In severe cases of infection/swelling, noticeable visible from outside/inside of the mouth, call immediately as antibiotics and draining are necessary.
New Crowns/Fillings
High Bite
Sometimes after a new crown or filling your bite may be high. It is noticeable after the anesthetic wears off, or over a long period of time. Symptoms include pain when biting and cold sensitivity. If left alone can cause a tooth ache. If you experience these symptoms please call us as it is imperative to adjust the bite.
Trauma to the nerve
Anytime dental work is performed on a tooth it is possible to cause temporary or permanent damage to the nerve. Typically the deeper the cavity or fracture, the more likely a permanent issue will arise, but exceptions do occur. A bite adjustment or re-do of the restoration is the first course of treatment to calm the nerve down. Afterwards it is important to go easy on chewing on that tooth. In the case that the nerve is permanently damage the tooth would need a root canal.
Crowns
Permanent crown off or loose
Call us and schedule appointment to have the crown/tooth evaluated. This emergency should be seen as soon as possible, but can wait overnight or a few days. Keep your crown and bring to appointment.
Temporary crown off or loose
Call us and schedule appointment to have the crown/tooth evaluated. This emergency should be seen as soon as possible, but can wait 1-2 days if unable to come in. Keep your crown and bring to appointment.