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Dental Emergencies and Urgencies

What is a true dental emergency?  An emergency is an event that can be life altering.

Examples of a true dental emergency include:

• Severe infection with extreme swelling
  • swelling – may cause eye to close shut
  • swelling – may feel like it is moving down the neck
  • swelling – may make the tongue lift or move
• Knocked-out (avulsed) permanent teeth in children.
• Fractured permanent front tooth of a child with bleeding inside the tooth.

What should you do with a dental emergency?

• Severe infection
  • Call our office immediately.
  • If after hours, call one of our Drs. on our emergency phone (515) 357-3823.
  • In the unlikely event you are unable to contact us, you should go to the hospital emergency room.

• Knocked-out (avulsed) permanent tooth
  • Rinse dirt and debris from tooth. Do not scrub any tissue from the tooth root.
  • If you are able, place the tooth back into the socket.
  • Either place the tooth in your cheek or in a small container with milk if milk is not available, water will do. Do not put tooth in the cheek of your child – they might swallow it.
  • Contact our office immediately.
  • If after hours, call one of our Drs. on our emergency phone (515) 357-3823.
  • If unable to contact us after hours, go the hospital emergency room
• Fractured permanent front tooth of a child with bleeding inside the tooth.
  • Call our office immediately.
  • If after hours, call one of our Drs. on our emergency phone (515) 357-3823.
  • If the tooth fragments can be found, bring it to the office. Occasionally the tooth fragments can be reattached and repaired in our office.

What is a dental urgency?  A dental urgency is an event that may seem innocent initially but has the potential to escalate into a more severe event.

Examples of a dental urgency include:

• Longstanding fractured teeth
• Longstanding loose or lost fillings
• Crowns that are loose or have come off
• Extreme pain that awakens you from sleep (without swelling)
• Slight swelling, with or without pain
• Extreme tooth pain that is alleviated with ice on the tooth

What should you do about a dental urgency?

• Call our office and we will normally be able to see you on the same day.
• If after hours, you may call one of our Drs. on our emergency phone (515) 357-3823.
  • One of our Drs. will council you on best advice for your dental urgency.

What about those other worries?

We will do everything possible to see you on the same day you call with your emergencies, urgencies and other worries.  Thank you for your trust in us!

Davidson Family Dentistry