Caring Emergency Dentist

Our caring emergency dentist is ready to take care of you, even on Saturdays.

You can never plan for an emergency. An emergency is an unexpected situation that occurs and requires immediate attention or action. The term emergency doesn’t have to be used for specific things, it can also be used when referring to an unexpected dental event. Whether you knocked out a tooth, broke a tooth, or have a toothache, Southpointe Dental is here for you! Should you experience any dental emergency, it’s always a good idea to have your dentist in Lincoln, NE take a look. In our article we’ll cover:

• Is a broken tooth a dental emergency?
  Listed are step-by-step instructions from our emergency dentist in Lincoln, NE so you know what to do.
  
• Is toothache a dental emergency?
  In some cases, yes. Below are dental discomfort management tips.
  
• How do I get emergency dental care?
  Commonly asked questions with answers might help you decide what to do until you see an emergency dentist in Lincoln, NE.

Our Lincoln, NE Emergency Dentist, understands that all dental emergencies are scary and uncomfortable, and hopes you can address them immediately. Luckily for those of you in Lincoln, we’re open on certain Saturdays to address your emergencies right away. Our emergency dentist is happy to take care of any dental emergency: cracked teeth from biting too hard, fillings that have fallen out, loose crowns, knocked out teeth, etc. Whatever it is, our emergency dentist in Lincoln, NE knows that it can’t wait. Anytime you have an emergency after hours; a good first step is to call our office immediately. Even if you are unsure about your condition, the safest thing you can do is give us a call. You can contact our emergency dentists directly at:

Lincoln, NE Emergency Dentist phone number

During Business Hours: 402-423-3333

After Hours: 402-840-9783

The most common dental emergencies we encounter are broken cracked teeth and toothaches. Those common dental problems have the potential to cause significant damage if they are not taken care of immediately.

Emergency Dentist for
Broken or Cracked Teeth

Broken teeth are incredibly common and can range anywhere from chipped to broken in half. If you have a broken tooth, you can follow these steps:

1. Call our office using one of the numbers above.
2. Rinse the tooth fragment and your mouth with lukewarm water.
3. If you’re bleeding, apply gauze for ten minutes.
4. Place a cold, damp cloth on your cheek to minimize swelling and discomfort.
5. Use a topical solution to help relieve discomfort.

Waiting to have a broken tooth examined can become more of a nuisance than having it taken care of right away. Although the discomfort of a broken tooth can range anywhere from very severe to minimal, it’s still important to see an “emergency dentist near me in Lincoln, NE” immediately. If a broken tooth is left unattended, often removal becomes the only option, which costs much more than fixing a damaged tooth. Further, waiting on a broken tooth puts you at the risk of acute infection.

Emergency Dentist on Managing Dental Discomfort and Toothaches

For any dental emergency, you can expect some level of discomfort. While fixing the problem is always the better option, making the discomfort bearable is possible until your emergency dentist in Lincoln, NE can examine a source of your toothache. Here are a few ways to help manage the toothache:

Over-the-counter Medications – Household medications like Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or Advil will not disrupt the medications or anesthetic that dentists use. These can dull the discomfort of a toothache.

Gargle salt water – Mix a pinch of salt into a glass of lukewarm water and gargle for 2 to 3 minutes.

Avoid eating hot, cold, or hard foods – Toothaches will be extra sensitive to hot and cold foods, as well as anything that is difficult to chew. If you begin eating anything and it causes severe discomfort, stop immediately so as not to irritate the area further.

Commonly asked questions for Lincoln, NE emergency dentist

Can dental emergencies be life-threatening? 

Dental emergencies and untreated dental problems do lead to life-threatening situations. Read this story.

How do I know if I have a cracked tooth? What should I do?

If you bite down feeling sharp, sudden discomfort in your mouth that goes away as quickly as you reopen your mouth, you could be experiencing the symptoms of a cracked tooth. Until you see an emergency dentist in Lincoln, NE, avoid eating hard foods, and chew on the opposite side of your mouth to prevent aggravating the cracked tooth.

A cracked tooth happens for some reasons, including:
• Biting on hard objects such as hard candy, ice, nuts, or even a carrot.

• Grinding or clenching teeth (especially when sleeping).
• A severe hit to the mouth that impacts one of your teeth.

• Exposing the tooth to sudden temperature swings—i.e. immediately going from a hot to a cold drink.

• Stress or brittleness of the tooth from an earlier treatment such as a root canal. Spotting the crack on the tooth can be challenging as some hairline fractures are too small to be seen by the eye or even by an x-ray. By asking the right questions and probing, your emergency dentist should be able to determine if and where you have a cracked tooth. Depending on the size or location of the crack, an emergency dentist can treat it with a bonding material. If it appears the cracked tooth has caused the inner pulp to become infected, a root canal may be necessary.

What if my tooth breaks or gets knocked out?

A knocked out, or broken tooth can happen in a car accident, a bike accident, or even by a freak accident when playing a contact sport or doing physically intensive work. If it does happen, seek emergency dental treatment immediately. For a broken tooth, rinse and clean your mouth with warm water. Use cold compresses on the area to keep any swelling down until you get to see our emergency dentist. If a tooth gets knocked out completely, it’s imperative to get to the emergency dentist as quickly as possible. Before you see an emergency dentist follow those steps Avoid touching the root of the tooth, so you do not contaminate it.  Instead of touching the root, hold the tooth by its crown. If the tooth does become contaminated,  simply put rinse it with water. After rinsing the tooth put the tooth in a container of milk and try to get to a “dentist near me” within 30 minutes. The emergency dentist will want to properly implant the tooth right away because the longer the tooth is out of its socket, the more likely it may be rejected by your gum as a foreign object.

1. Avoid touching the root of the tooth, so you do not contaminate it.  Instead of touching the root, hold the tooth by its crown. If the tooth does become contaminated,  simply put rinse it with water. After rinsing the tooth put the tooth in a container of milk and try to get to a dentist within 30 minutes. The emergency dentist will want to properly implant the tooth right away because the longer the tooth is out of its socket, the more likely it may be rejected by your gum as a foreign object.

2. If the tooth does become contaminated,  simply rinse it with water. After rinsing the tooth put the tooth in a container of milk and try to get to a dentist within 30 minutes. The emergency dentist will want to properly implant the tooth right away because the longer the tooth is out of its socket, the more likely it may be rejected by your gum as a foreign object.

3. After rinsing the tooth put the tooth in a container of milk and try to get to your emergency dentist within 30 minutes.

How can I remove an object that’s caught between my teeth?

If you should get a piece of food or any small object wedged between your teeth, first try to gently remove the object with dental floss. Don’t use anything sharp like a pin around your teeth as it may cut your gums or damage a tooth. If it can’t be removed by dental floss, contact our Lincoln, NE “emergency dentist near me” for advice or to schedule an appointment.

What happens if I lose my tooth filling?

If you should lose a tooth filling, call to see our Lincoln, NE emergency dentist at the soonest available time. In the meanwhile, here are a couple of short-term remedies. Inquire at your pharmacy about an over-the-counter dental cement to use as a temporary stop gap. Or, a piece of sugar-free gum can also be applied to the cavity until you see your dentist in Lincoln, NE. Just be sure that gum is sugarless as even a little sugar in a cavity will hurt! At Southpointe, we value your safety and comfort above all else. If you aren’t sure whether or not your toothache is a dental emergency, or you have any questions for our emergency dentist, give us a call today or make an appointment online!

The information on this page was written by Dr. Sydney Joyce.

This gentle Lincoln, NE dentists says: “For the past years, I have been extremely privileged to be part of this great profession, which I have only grown to love more with each passing year. There is nothing more rewarding than teaching and helping my patients care for their smiles and helping them to be healthier overall. Quality dental care is my number one goal, but I also feel that patients deserve personalized care where they are given their options for treatment and can help decide what course they would like to take. While providing excellent dental care for you, I want your dental experience to be comfortable and positive.”

You can schedule with this Lincoln, NE dentist, or her partners, online 24/7 at a SouthPointe Dental Location near you. This “dentist near me” serves the local communities close to Lincoln. Some of the communities include Roca, Bennet, Firth, Crete, and Hickman!