According to a recent survey, most Americans are unprepared to handle a dental emergency. Here at Smile Hilliard, we’d like to change that. While we hope that you never experience a dental emergency, we want you to feel that should one occur, you’ll know just what to do (hint: call us immediately!). Read on for our dental emergency tips, including what a dental emergency is, how you can avoid one, and what to do when you’re experiencing one.
What Is A Dental Emergency?
The most common dental emergencies are broken or cracked teeth, partially dislodged teeth, severe toothaches, and teeth that have been knocked out. In all of these cases, please contact our office immediately. During off hours, patients of record can reach Dr. Sanyk via our emergency phone line 24 hours a day.
If you are experiencing a more moderate dental problem—like a lost crown or filling—you can call during our normal business hours, and we’ll be happy to fit you in for an appointment as soon as possible. If you’re still unsure whether your problem requires emergency treatment, please err on the side of caution and contact us immediately. We’ll be happy to assess the severity of your emergency and advise accordingly.
How Can I Avoid A Dental Emergency?
To avoid a dental emergency, practice good dental care on a daily basis so you don’t develop severe dental problems that can cause emergencies. That means brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time, and flossing daily.
Additionally, you’ll want to invest in a custom athletic mouthguard if you participate in contact team sports or engage in solo sports where the risk of injury is high (rollerblading, gymnastics, and skateboarding, for example). A mouthguard will minimize your likelihood of experiencing a chipped or broken tooth.
Finally, avoid chewing on ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels, and using your teeth as tools. All of these activities are detrimental to teeth and can result in cracks or breaks.
What Will Smile Hilliard Do for My Dental Emergency?
When you call us, we’ll assess the severity of your injury and provide over-the-phone instructions to minimize your pain. We’ll also schedule you for a same-day emergency appointment with our professional team so you can receive high-quality, responsive treatment.
How Should I Handle My Broken Tooth?
We always want you to call Smile Hilliard immediately if you experience a broken tooth. We’ll provide you with over-the-phone instructions about what you should do. However, if you only remember one thing, we’d like you to keep your tooth moist until you reach us on the phone. Save the tooth—and any broken or chipped bits—and place it in your own saliva. Then, give us a call.
How to Contact Smile Hilliard When Experiencing A Dental Emergency
Please call us immediately at (614) 534-0257. Appointments of a less urgent nature may be easily requested online by using our online appointment request form. For your convenience, we offer early morning and evening appointments and after-hours emergency care for our patients of record.
