Emergency Dentist Idaho Falls

Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? That depends largely on the symptoms you’re experiencing and how severe they are. If, for example, you feel a sharp, stabbing pain when biting down that’s making it difficult for you to eat, then you shouldn’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with our Idaho Falls emergency dentist right away.

How You Should Handle a Toothache There are a few things we recommend doing prior to your appointment, including avoiding crunchy foods, not chewing on that side of your mouth, rinsing periodically with warm saltwater, and taking OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Toothaches After we learn more about your symptoms, take X-rays, and examine your tooth, we can determine which restorative dental service is needed. In most cases, it’s a tooth-colored filling or crown. If the damage is severe, however, root canal treatment may be needed as well.

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Not always. That said, even small chips warrant a visit to our office. We need to make sure the tooth isn’t at-risk of breaking further or developing an infection.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth In addition to getting in touch with us to schedule an appointment, we recommend doing what you can to protect your tooth, like sticking to soft foods and covering it with some sugar-free gum.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Dental bonding is a very common solution for small chips. For more substantial damage, a veneer might be needed. In addition to being able to fix small and large chips, this smile-enhancing solution comes in numerous lifelike shades and can last for well over a decade if cared for properly.

Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Whether you are experiencing abnormal symptoms, like persistent dental sensitivity, or you can actually see a crack in your enamel, it’s important to contact our Idaho Falls team. That way, we can schedule an emergency exam right away, hopefully preventing further damage in the process.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth It’s important that you don’t place any pressure on the tooth or wiggle it with your finger. You should also avoid hot and cold stimuli, and rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically to keep your mouth clean. It also goes without saying that getting to our office for the necessary restorative care is crucial.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Sometimes, a cracked tooth can be protected with a dental crown. Other times, the only option we have is extracting it. In that case, we will also explore your tooth-replacement solutions so there isn’t a gap in your smile for long.

Very Sensitive Teeth  

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? The urgency of the situation depends largely on how long the symptoms have been present. If it has been more than 24 hours or they are getting worse and worse, then it’s absolutely a dental emergency and warrants an immediate visit with Dr. Cline.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth We recommend doing what you can to avoid exacerbating your symptoms, like not eating anything really cold or hot. It’s also a good idea to use a desensitizing toothpaste and stick to room-temperature water until we have a chance to provide the necessary care.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth If a cavity is the root of the problem, then a tooth-colored filling or dental crown may be recommended. If it’s an infection in your tooth or your gums, then root canal treatment or gum disease treatment may be needed instead. Ultimately, we will need to conduct a comprehensive oral exam in order to determine the answer.

Knocked-Out Tooth  

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Definitely, especially since we only have about 60 minutes to save your tooth. So, don’t hesitate to call us right away. From there, we can schedule an emergency appointment with Dr. Cline and share exactly what to do (and what not to do) until you arrive at our office.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth We recommend contacting us ASAP so that we have the highest chances of being able to save your tooth. You also need to put the tooth back in its socket or place it in a clean container filled with milk to preserve the root.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth Ideally, we’ll be able to save your tooth. Unfortunately, however, that’s not always an option. If the tooth was lost, for example, then we will need to replace it with a dental bridge or implant instead. The good news is that we custom-make these restorations to ensure they look and function just like the real thing.

Lost Filling or Crown  

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Since your tooth is at risk of breaking or developing an infection without the filling or crown securely in place, the answer is “yes!” We strongly recommend getting in touch with us when you first notice that something is wrong.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown In addition to calling us to schedule an appointment, we recommend protecting your restoration (if you have it), not chewing on that side of your mouth, and avoiding hot and cold stimuli.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns In both cases, we can provide you with a new restoration. There are also some cases where we can re-cement your existing restoration back in place, like if you have a dental crown that’s relatively new and in good condition.

Broken Denture

Loose Permanent Tooth

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Jaw Pain

Something Stuck Between the Teeth