How to Prepare for Emergency Dental Cases

Accidents often happen when you least expect them, but that doesn’t mean you cannot be prepared for them in advance. In fact, preparing for emergency dental cases can help you better protect your smile. Immediate care can prevent infection and more serious damage. It can make the difference between saving and losing your tooth.

One of the best ways to be prepared for a dental emergency is by having a dental first aid kit. Necessary materials include:

• Gauze to stop bleeding
• Salt packets for salt water rinses
• Dental floss to clean around teeth
• Temporary crown and filling material
• Tooth preservation kits
• Over-the-counter pain relievers

Not all accidents require an emergency dentist. Small chips that do not cause pain, loose fillings, and minor tooth pain can usually wait for normal business hours. However, they should still be attended to as soon as possible since they can lead to more serious dental problems. Other dental emergencies require immediate attention, including knocked-out or dislodged teeth.

Although you can treat the symptoms of dental emergencies at home, the dental problem must be addressed as soon as possible by a dental professional. Call our emergency dental office in LA today to learn more or to schedule your appointment with our team.

Restoration Options for Broken Teeth

Teeth can break as a result of deep untreated decay, or from weakened teeth biting down on something that is just too hard. A broken tooth might not hurt much, but it needs to be treated as soon as possible to prevent infection or the damage from worsening. We can help you with the right broken tooth treatment and restore your dental health.

The severity of the break will play a role in the treatment we recommend. Available treatments include:

• Dental fillings, which are typically used when the area of damage is small and can be easily repaired using composite resin
• Inlays and onlays, which are a special type of porcelain restoration that can be used when a filling is not sufficient, and offer a conservative alternative to a dental crown
• Dental crowns, which are used when the damage is especially severe and are made to encase the entire tooth in porcelain or another material to protect it from additional damage

Rarely, a tooth will be too badly damaged to restore and will need to be extracted. In this case, we will explain your options for replacement, which could include a dental bridge or implant. In most cases, however, we can restore your tooth using attractive, tooth-colored materials that will give you back your smile and protect your long-term dental health. Call our office now to make an appointment with our LA emergency dentistry expert.