Emergency Dentist – Hillsboro, OR

How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies

If you experience dental trauma or any out-of-the-ordinary symptoms, always contact our office first so we can schedule an emergency appointment for you. As you’re making your way to our dental office, you can follow some of the tips and advice that we’ve provided below on how to handle the most common emergency situations.

Toothaches

Chipped Tooth

Cracked Tooth

Sensitivity to Hot & Cold

Knocked-Out Tooth

Lost Filling or Crown

Broken Denture

Loose Tooth

Gums, Lips or Tongue Injury

Jaw Pain or Clenching

Something Stuck Between Teeth

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

Although it’s impossible to completely prevent dental emergencies, there are some preventive measures you can take to reduce your risk of experiencing one, including:

• Maintain a nutritious diet
• Stay hydrated with water
• Avoid chewing on sticky and hard items
• Break bad oral habits like nail-biting and smoking
• Visit us every six months for dental checkups and teeth cleanings
• Keep up with your at-home oral hygiene routine

The Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies

Once we’ve had an opportunity to examine your mouth and diagnose any underlying problems that may be causing your pain, we’ll be able to develop a treatment plan and determine the cost of fixing the issue. We make sure that we’re always transparent with our patients, so we will walk you through all of the details before completing any work. If you have questions about dental insurance coverage or financing, our team will be happy to answer them.

TMJ/TMD Treatment

Do you experience pain and tenderness in your jaw joints or grind and clench your teeth at night? These are signs of a common condition known as TMJ dysfunction. To help ease your pain, we offer several different customized therapies, including BOTOX injections to help overworked joints relax, occlusal adjustments, and occlusal splints. To learn more about why you’re experiencing jaw discomfort, lockjaw, or facial tension, and how we can help relieve it, contact our office today.

Dental Emergency FAQs

Dental emergencies often come unexpected, so it’s understandable that you have some unanswered questions. Fortunately, we are here to help! Here are the answers to some of the most common queries we receive about dental emergencies in Hillsboro. If you don’t see the information that you’re looking for below, don’t worry! Give us a call and we’d be happy to answer your questions and schedule you for an urgent appointment.

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Will my toothache go away on its own?

Toothaches don’t generally go away on their own. Because of this, it is best to schedule a checkup with a dentist just to ensure that nothing serious is going on. There are so many potential causes for toothaches, so you will want to rule them out with a professional as soon as you can. By doing so, you can catch underlying problems before they become serious.

How should I sleep with tooth pain?

When dealing with a toothache at night, it can be difficult to get quality sleep. Until you are able to see an emergency dentist in the morning, keep your head elevated. This prevents blood from rushing to your head and intensifying your toothache. Additionally, take over-the-counter pain relievers as needed, and avoid foods that are acidic, cold, or hard before bed. Cold compresses have also been shown to help dull discomfort.

Should I visit the emergency room first for dental emergencies?

Most emergency rooms aren’t able to address dental emergencies effectively. However, there are three main exceptions where an ER visit is a better option. You should head to the ER if you have experienced a jaw fracture or dislocation, serious cut or laceration to the face or mouth, or an abscess or infection that is swollen to the point where it is affecting breathing or swallowing. In pretty much all other circumstances, you should visit your dentist first.

Should knocked-out teeth be placed in water?

Water can be used to rinse a tooth that has been knocked out, but the tooth should not be placed in water. This is because water can damage the root surface cells of teeth, therefore reducing your dentist’s chances of being able to place it back into its socket. Instead, do your best to place it back into the open socket yourself before heading to your emergency dentist. If you’re unable to put the tooth back in the socket, keep it in saliva, milk, or a saline solution instead. By seeing your dentist within in hour, you are significantly increase the probability of your tooth being saved.