If you have a toothache, give us a call. We will see you today. Dr. Weiss wants your emergency taken care of promptly. And while you may be needing an extensive procedure, just getting you out of pain or taking care of the immediate problem temporarily is usually a quick appointment.
And we hope you aren’t nervous. Dr. Weiss has a reputation for gentle dentistry. If you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, he won’t lecture you. He just wants to help.
We make time in our schedule for dental emergencies, and we will get you in today. Often it’s just a simple, quick procedure to get you out of pain, and then we can talk about a long-term solution to your dental problem.
Here are some common dental emergency situations and what to do about them:
A toothache. A toothache can come from a large cavity, but there are other causes. A crack in a tooth can allow bacteria to enter and the tooth to become infected. Sometimes a small amount of decay under an old filling is enough to infect a tooth. An infected tooth will need a root canal treatment, but don’t expect to get that treatment when you come in. If that is your problem, Dr. Weiss will do a simple treatment to get you out of pain and will probably refer you to an endodontist (root canal specialist) for the root canal.
A crown that has come off. Even if it doesn’t hurt, please come in right away. If it isn’t re-cemented promptly the teeth on either side may drift, closing the space and making it impossible to re-fit the crown.
A lost filling. Losing a filling can allow the sensitive dentin of your tooth to be exposed to the air and in some cases can be quite painful. Replacing the filling can be a simple procedure.
A chipped or broken front tooth. A broken front tooth may not hurt, but it may affect your appearance to the extent that we would call it an aesthetic emergency, and we will see you today. You’re in particularly good hands with Dr. Weiss for this problem.
A front tooth that is knocked out. Come in as fast as you can. If it is replanted within half an hour, there is a good chance of saving it. Handle it delicately. The tiny ligament fragments attached to the tooth must be left undisturbed. Don’t even rinse it off. Some experts advise transporting the tooth in a glass of milk. While milk is helpful for keeping those ligaments alive, don’t spend time hunting for some milk. Instead, get a damp cloth (not a dripping wet cloth) or paper towel, wrap it gently, and get here quickly.