Emergency dental care is for pain, injury or infection involving your teeth, gums, lips, cheeks or jaw that should not wait. If you or a loved one has a dental emergency, try to stay calm and call Southern York Smile Care in Shrewsbury, PA at (717) 235-3871. We will assess the problem and decide the best course of action.
This guide explains what counts as a dental emergency, what to do in the first few minutes, and when to go to a hospital instead. Keep it handy; dental accidents rarely happen at a convenient time.
What is a dental emergency?
A dental emergency can be any pain or injury from physical trauma, an infected tooth, or any incident involving your teeth, lips, gums, cheeks or jaw. Common examples include:
- A tooth that is knocked out or pushed out of place
- A chipped, cracked or broken tooth, especially with pain
- Severe or throbbing toothache
- Swelling in the gums, face or jaw, or a pimple-like bump on the gum
- A cut to the lip, tongue or cheek that keeps bleeding
- A lost crown or filling that leaves a tooth painful or sharp
When to go to the emergency room
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have facial swelling that is spreading or affects your eye or neck, trouble breathing or swallowing, a high fever with dental swelling, bleeding that will not stop, or a possible broken jaw or head injury. These can be serious, and a hospital is the right first stop. Follow up with your dentist afterward.
How to handle a dental emergency
If you do not need a hospital, Dr. Steven Haywood has put together this patient-friendly guide to managing common situations until you can be seen.
Fractured tooth
If you have chipped, cracked or broken a tooth, call our office as soon as possible to prevent further damage and infection. Rinse your mouth with lukewarm water to keep the area clean. Save any broken pieces in a clean container with milk or water. If the edge is sharp, a piece of sugar-free gum or dental wax can protect your tongue and cheek. Dr. Haywood will assess the damage and decide how to restore your tooth, whether with bonding, a filling, a crown or, if the nerve is affected, a root canal.
Toothache or jaw pain
Severe pain can signal a more serious problem than a minor toothache, such as a deep cavity, a cracked tooth or an infection. Rinse with warm salt water, gently floss to remove any trapped food, and take an over-the-counter pain reliever as directed on the package. A cold compress on the outside of your cheek can ease swelling. Do not place aspirin directly on the gum, since it can burn the tissue. If the pain persists, come in so we can find the cause and relieve it. Our article Get relief from a toothache has more detail.
Knocked-out tooth
A knocked-out adult tooth needs immediate care; the sooner it is treated, the better the chance of saving it.
- Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown, the white chewing part. Avoid touching the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or water. Do not scrub it or wrap it in tissue.
- If you can, gently place it back in its socket and bite on a clean cloth to hold it.
- If that is not possible, keep it moist in a container of milk or your own saliva.
- Call us right away at (717) 235-3871.
Dr. Haywood will try to save and reattach the tooth, depending on the damage. Do not try to put a baby tooth back in, as this can harm the adult tooth developing underneath.
Lip or mouth injury
If you have cut your lip, tongue or the inside of your mouth, rinse gently and press firmly with gauze or a clean cloth to stop the bleeding. A cold compress helps relieve pain and swelling. If bleeding continues after 15 minutes of steady pressure, contact us for immediate care, or go to an emergency room if it is heavy.
Lost crown or filling
Keep the crown if you find it and call us. Until your visit, avoid chewing on that side. A small amount of dental cement from a pharmacy can temporarily cover a sensitive tooth or hold a crown in place. Never use household glue.
Frequently asked questions
What is considered a dental emergency?
Any dental problem that needs prompt attention, such as a chipped, cracked, broken or knocked-out tooth, severe pain, swelling, a puncture wound or nerve damage. If you think you have an emergency, call (717) 235-3871 so we can address it as soon as possible. If it can wait, follow the steps above.
Is a cavity a dental emergency?
Usually a minor cavity is not, unless you have a severe toothache or sudden sensitivity. Those can be signs of something deeper that may need more treatment. If that is the case, Dr. Haywood strongly suggests scheduling a visit at your earliest convenience. Finding decay early, with tools like DIAGNOdent and digital X-rays that use up to 90% less radiation, keeps treatment simpler.
What helps relieve tooth pain?
An over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, taken as the label directs, can ease a toothache. Warm salt-water rinses and a cold compress help too. Ask a pharmacist or doctor if you are unsure which medicine is safe for you, and do not give aspirin to children. If pain continues, call us so we can find the cause.
What if I am not sure it is an emergency?
Call our Shrewsbury office. We will ask a few questions and help you decide how soon you should be seen. In some cases, waiting can lead to further damage or infection, so it is better to be safe than sorry.
What if I am anxious about coming in?
Many people put off care because of dental fear. Southern York Smile Care offers oral sedation to help you relax. See sedation dentistry.
Preventing dental emergencies
Not every accident can be avoided, but these steps lower your risk:
- Wear a mouthguard for contact sports and active hobbies.
- Don't chew ice, hard candy or popcorn kernels, and don't use your teeth to open packages; see Don't Use Your Teeth as Tools.
- Wear a night guard if you grind your teeth.
- Keep up with regular checkups so small cracks and cavities are treated before they become painful. Every cleaning at our office is a full 60 minutes.
Contact Dr. Haywood for emergency dental care
Dental emergencies happen, and when they do, Southern York Smile Care is here for you. Learn more on our emergency dental care service page. If you think you have a dental emergency, call (717) 235-3871 right away. If it can wait, request an appointment online and we will get back to you soon. The office is at 4 S. Main St in Shrewsbury and serves York, southern York County and northern Baltimore County.
DDS cum laude 1987, US Air Force residency, NYU cosmetic training and Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, with 35+ years in practice.
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