Learn about Emergency Dental Care in St. Louis, MO
If you have a sudden accident or unexpected pain in your teeth, gums, or jaw, you can contact West County Dental for Emergency Dentistry in St. Louis. To help you understand what to do right after an injury or sudden pain, these FAQs can guide you until you see our dentist in person. If you’re dealing with pain or an injury right now, contact us now to make a short-notice appointment!
What qualifies as a dental emergency?
You might need to see a dentist on short notice or after hours if you injured your face or mouth in any number of ways. Falling, slipping, car accidents, and sports collisions might knock your teeth and jaw, potentially breaking teeth or causing internal damage to your mouth.
The other type of situation for emergency dental care involves sharp pain in your teeth or gums that starts suddenly and won’t go away. Anytime you’re in persistent pain, you can’t wait days or weeks to get relief. Call West County Dental for faster pain relief and an accurate diagnosis anytime.
What can I do before my emergency dental appointment to relieve pain?
If you had an accident, sports injury, fall, or a toothache causing pain, apply a cold compress to your chin or cheek on the hurt side. In a pinch, a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel can work. After a few minutes, remove the compress and rinse your mouth with warm water to wash away any blood. Repeat this process two or three times.
If the bleeding doesn’t stop or you can see a significant wound when you look in the mirror, you will need immediate attention from our dentist. If the injury knocks one or more teeth loose, leave them in place until your appointment and avoid eating solid foods that could break or dislodge the teeth. If a tooth does fall out, keep it moist in a glass of warm water and bring them to our office.
How can an emergency dentist help me?
By seeing you on the same day or after hours, Dr. Spalitto can relieve pain, prevent further damage, and offer the best options for treatment while the injury is still fresh. Furthermore, even if you don’t see a problem, injuries can cause internal damage that will only be visible to a trained dentist with X-rays and other exam methods. The longer you wait, the more serious the problem may become—not to mention the pain you’ll have to manage!
I have a broken or chipped tooth. What do I do?
If you have the part of the tooth or whole tooth that broke free, keep it in warm water until you can visit our office. Avoid eating hard or sticky foods that could damage a weak tooth further. Once you see Dr. Spalitto, he can evaluate whether the root of the tooth is still healthy and intact. Depending on the answer, treatment might involve a simple solution such as bonding or a more permanent solution such as dental implants.
Contact West County Dental in St. Louis today for an emergency dental visit!