What Counts as a Dental Emergency? A Clayton, NC Dentist Explains

Most of the calls we get that start with “I’m not sure if this counts as an emergency” turn out to be exactly that. Patients wait because they don’t want to be a bother, or because the pain comes and goes, and by the time they come in a problem that could have been handled in one short visit has turned into something bigger. So here is the honest version of what we tell people on the phone at our Clayton office.

You don’t have to diagnose it first

That’s our job. We keep room in the schedule for emergency dental care, and most of the time we can see you the same day you call. We open at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, so if something happens overnight, calling first thing usually gets you in before lunch.

What we treat as a true emergency

These are the situations where we’ll move things around to get you in right away.

• A knocked-out tooth. This is the one where the clock matters most. A tooth that goes back into its socket within about an hour has a real chance of surviving. Pick it up by the crown (the part you chew with), not the root. Rinse it gently with water, no scrubbing. If you can, slip it back into the socket and hold it there. If you can’t, put it in a small container of milk or tuck it inside your cheek, and head our way.
• Swelling in your face, jaw or gums. Swelling usually means infection, and infection in the mouth can spread. If the swelling is making it hard to swallow or breathe, go to the emergency room first and call us after. Otherwise, call us.
• A toothache that keeps you up at night. Pain that throbs, wakes you up, or gets worse when you lie down is often an infected or inflamed nerve. Painkillers mask it for a few hours, but it doesn’t resolve on its own. Often this is a root canal situation, and the sooner we get to it the easier it is.
• Bleeding that won’t stop. A little bleeding after flossing is one thing. Bleeding from an injury or an extraction site that hasn’t slowed after 15 to 20 minutes of steady pressure with gauze is something we want to see.
• A broken tooth with pain or a sharp edge. Big chips and cracks that expose the inside of the tooth hurt, and they can cut your tongue or cheek. With CEREC same-day crowns we can often restore a badly broken tooth in a single visit, which saves you a second trip.
• An injury to your jaw or mouth. A hit to the face from a fall, a ball or a car accident. If you think your jaw might be broken, the ER comes first. For cuts inside the mouth and loosened teeth, call us.

What’s urgent, but can wait until we open

These aren’t nothing, but you can take a breath. Call us when we open and we’ll get you in within a day or two.

• A filling or crown that fell out and isn’t hurting. Keep the crown if you have it. A dab of toothpaste or dental cement from the pharmacy can hold it in place temporarily, but don’t use glue.
• A small chip with no pain.
• A cracked or lost retainer or aligner.
• Mild sensitivity to hot or cold that just started.
• Food stuck between teeth that floss can’t reach. Don’t dig at it with anything sharp.

What to do while you’re waiting to be seen

A few things that genuinely help, and a couple that don’t.

• For pain, over-the-counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen taken as directed on the package. Don’t put aspirin directly on the gum. It burns the tissue and doesn’t help the tooth.
• For swelling, a cold compress on the outside of the cheek, 15 minutes on and 15 off.
• For a sore area or a cut inside the mouth, rinse gently with warm salt water.
• Skip very hot, very cold, hard or sticky foods. Chew on the other side.
• Don’t try to pull a loose tooth yourself, and don’t try to file a sharp edge down.

When the emergency room is the right call

Hospitals don’t have dentists on staff, so for most dental problems they can give you antibiotics and pain medicine, but they can’t fix the tooth. There are a few exceptions where the ER should come first, and we’ll see you afterward.

• Swelling that affects your breathing or swallowing
• A jaw you suspect is broken or dislocated
• Bleeding that won’t stop with pressure
• A head injury along with the dental injury

Preventing the next one

A lot of the emergencies we see come from a handful of causes. If your teen plays a contact sport, a custom mouthguard costs far less than a knocked-out front tooth. If you wake up with a sore jaw, you may be grinding at night and a night guard can prevent cracked teeth. And the biggest one: a tooth that’s been “a little sensitive” for months is usually a cavity or crack that’s about to become a toothache. A regular checkup and cleaning catches those while they’re still small.

Questions we hear on the emergency line

Can I go to the emergency room for a toothache?

You can, but the ER can only give you antibiotics and pain medicine. It cannot fix the tooth, so you will still need to see a dentist. Go to the ER first only if you have swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, a jaw you think is broken, bleeding that will not stop, or a head injury.

How quickly can Mooring Dental see me for an emergency?

Usually the same day you call. We hold time in the schedule for emergencies, and calling right when we open gets you in soonest. If you reach us outside office hours, leave your name and number and we will call you back as soon as we are in.

What should I do if my child knocks out a baby tooth?

Do not try to put a baby tooth back in. Rinse your child’s mouth gently, use a cold compress for swelling, and call us. We will check that no pieces are left behind and that the adult tooth underneath was not damaged.

Does an emergency visit cost more than a regular visit?

An emergency visit starts with an exam and any X-rays needed to find the cause of the problem. Before we do any treatment we tell you what it will cost and what your insurance is expected to cover. We also offer CareCredit and Wisetack financing and a membership plan for patients without insurance.

My tooth hurt for days and then stopped. Is it fine now?

Usually not. When a bad toothache suddenly stops, it often means the nerve inside the tooth has died, not that the problem has healed. The infection can still spread. Call us so we can check it before it turns into swelling.

About Mooring Dental

We’re a family dental practice at 304 Tew Court in Clayton, NC, led by Dr. Sean Mooring, DDS with associate Dr. H.M. Zombek. The office is open from 7:00 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and from 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, and we keep same-day time for emergencies.

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