Dental problems have a habit of starting on a Friday night. Knowing which situations need attention right now, and which can safely wait until Monday, saves you a lot of worry and sometimes saves the tooth.
Call us right away for these
A knocked-out permanent tooth. This is the one true race against the clock. Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root. If it is dirty, rinse it gently with milk or saline, not tap water, and do not scrub it. Try to place it back in the socket and bite softly on gauze. If that is not possible, keep it in a cup of milk and get to us immediately. Teeth replanted within about an hour have a far better chance of surviving.
Swelling in the face or jaw. Swelling suggests infection, and infection near the airway is genuinely dangerous. If swelling is spreading, you have a fever, or it is becoming hard to swallow or breathe, treat it as urgent and go to the emergency room if you cannot reach a dentist.
Bleeding that will not stop after fifteen minutes of steady pressure with clean gauze.
Pain severe enough to keep you awake. Pain that wakes you at night or does not respond to over-the-counter medication usually means the nerve is involved, and that rarely resolves on its own.
These need a prompt visit, not a panicked one
A lost filling or crown, a chip with no pain, or a sore spot from a denture all deserve an appointment in the next day or two. Keep the area clean, avoid chewing on that side, and cover a sharp edge with dental wax or sugar-free gum until you can be seen. If you still have the crown, bring it with you, since it can often be recemented.
Sensitivity to hot and cold that fades within a few seconds is usually not an emergency, though it is worth mentioning at your next visit.
What to do about the pain in the meantime
A cold compress on the outside of the cheek for fifteen minutes at a time helps swelling more than heat does. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories generally work better on dental pain than acetaminophen alone, provided your physician has not told you otherwise. Please do not place aspirin directly against the gum, which burns the tissue rather than helping.
Above all, an infection does not cure itself. Pain that suddenly disappears after days of throbbing is not always good news, since it can mean the nerve has died while the infection continues quietly.
We keep room for emergencies
We hold time in the schedule for urgent problems because we would much rather see you at the small-problem stage than the abscess stage. If you are unsure whether what you are dealing with counts, call us at (352) 326-4404 and describe it. We will tell you honestly whether you need to come in today.
Existing and new patients across Leesburg, Eustis, Tavares, and The Villages are welcome. You can also request an appointment online, and if a tooth cannot be saved, our oral surgery team handles extractions in house. Hablamos español.