Experienced Indianapolis dentist helps patients know when emergency tooth care is necessary

American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the line “into each life some rain must fall.” The poem’s line has stuck with us to today, evolving into a common saying. Unfortunately, a lot of time, that “rain” seems to come when we have no umbrella to protect us. For many of us out there, our rain is a dental emergency. Tooth, gum, and jaw pain can be some of the worst pain an individual endures. Washington Street Dentistry, located in Indianapolis, IN, is committed to our patients. We offer emergency tooth care. Our experienced dentist and staff have seen just about every situation occur. Let us relieve your pain!

Dental emergencies:

The term encompasses a varied list of dental situations. It refers to any issue involving the teeth, gums or jaw that is urgent enough to seek treatment immediately. The situation can be caused by trauma (such as a sporting injury or motor vehicle accident) or infection (bacterial, fungal, or viral).

Some situations that require urgent dental care:

• You’ve lost a filling: The first thing to do is rinse your mouth with warm water. Then call us. We can advise you on your next course of action and schedule a time to come for a replacement filling as soon as possible.
• Your tooth is chipped or broken: Teeth can become chipped or broken through a variety of reasons, from a fall to biting into something too hard. If it’s possible, save the portion of the tooth that has fallen off. Use warm water to rinse your mouth. Rinse the tooth fragment. You can use a cold pack on the outside of your mouth to take any swelling down. Then call us so we can see you as soon as possible to repair your tooth.
• Your crown has fallen off: You won’t experience immediate pain from a missing crown. This does not mean it isn’t a dental emergency! Left untreated, the missing crown can lead to infection and pain. Call us immediately so we can recommend your course of action and get a replacement crown placed as soon as possible.

• You have a toothache: Many people report this as some of the more intense pain they experience in life. Use a cold pack on the outside of your face of the side of the toothache for twenty minutes. This will take down any swelling and numb the pain. After the twenty minutes, remove the compress, let your face warm up, then reapply the pack for another twenty minutes. Do not place any pain medication directly on the gums! This can lead to further gum inflammation. Also, do not use heat to treat the pain as this can intensify an infection. Call us so we can get you in as soon as possible to determine the source of the pain, treat any infection and recommend further courses of action. We highly advise against just treating tooth pain at an emergency room as this won’t help solve the reason for the toothache, it will just help with pain management.
• You’ve had a tooth knocked out: This can happen in a variety of ways, but the result is the same. You’re staring at a tooth and feeling an empty spot in your gums. Your best chance of saving that tooth is to get to a dentist within an hour with the knocked-out tooth. Place the tooth either in a small container of milk or in a container of mild salt water. Call us immediately.

Reasons Washington Street Dental is the top choice for dental emergencies:

• Our experience: Dr. Matthew Church has been practicing dentistry for two decades now. It’s why we love to tell people “Smile, you’re in good hands!”.
• Our open doors: If you experience a dental emergency, we don’t care whether you are an existing patient of ours or not, we welcome everyone.
• Our commitment to care: We want each person to receive the care they need. We will help devise a payment plan to ensure you get the care you deserve.

Call us at (317) 333-6788 to see the difference caring dentistry can make for you.

Share this Article