Dr. Koo is the best! His staff is amazing and so friendly. My family loves him too. Great with kids. Dr. Koo is very fast, efficient and painless. I’m very sensitive and going to the dentist has always been so scary for me. Not with Dr. Koo, he’s a master at the painless novocaine shot!
You could experience an injury or accident at any time. That’s why it pays to know what to do if you face common dental emergencies. What should you do? Read on to learn more about handling these situations.
Your First Actions
The first step to correctly handing these problems is to call Dr. Koo immediately. During the day, call our office directly at 206-922-4573. Same-day appointments are often available, and if you cannot call, you can drop by for a walk-in visit. If our office is closed (such as late at night), you can call our after-hours number at 206-922-4573.
And don’t worry about whether your case is a true dental emergency or not. We would much rather hear from you than you not get the care you need at this crucial time.
In addition to calling, you need to stop any bleeding. Use a clean cloth or sterile gauze and apply direct pressure to the cut. If you cannot stop it, then go to your local emergency room as soon as possible for help.
Specific Dental Emergencies
Here is a list of five common dental emergencies and specific advice for handling these. Of course, call us (or visit the ER) first.
Some of these instructions talk about pain relievers. Because aspirin can thin your blood and encourage bleeding, you should always take non-aspirin versions only.
- A tooth came out: If you had a tooth knocked out, find it and gently rinse it off. Then put it in a container or cup and cover it with water or milk. Bring it with you to your emergency appointment, as our dentists may be able to use it. And if you are bleeding, stop that first and foremost. Take a pain reliever to manage the discomfort.
- A tooth is loose: You will be tempted to see just how loose it is, but don’t! Even just using your tongue can be the last pressure needed to make it come out completely. Stop bleeding, take pain relievers, but call either of our phone numbers and let us know what happened.
- A tooth is cracked or broken: As with above, pick up any pieces that broke off and bring them with you. You can cover any enamel problems with dental cement (available in drug stores), but you will need an emergency appointment soon. Even if the pain is minimal, you could have severe damage inside the tooth.
- A filling or crown came off: For a filling, don’t worry about finding what fell out. Use dental cement as a temporary replacement until you can be seen. For a dental crown, again use dental cement but this time as an adhesive to keep the crown where it belongs. Dental cement is great stuff, but it only lasts around 48 hours, so don’t wait to make that phone call.
- You have a bad toothache: One problem with tooth pain is how it can appear then go away. This tempts you into ignore it, hoping it will one day go away for good. Any tooth pain is a sign there’s a problem, but if the pain suddenly gets much worse, call is immediately and explain what happened.
Call our Seattle, WA dentist’s office today at 206-922-4573 if you are having these common dental emergencies or even if yours is different. Dr. Koo and our entire team are here to help. And if it’s after hours, call us at 206-922-4573.