Emergency Dentist — Mount Pleasant, TX

Is my toothache a dental emergency?

Toothaches are often a sign of an infection that has developed in the inner chamber of your tooth due to damage or an untreated cavity. If you experience any of the following, you should contact Dr. Sikes right away to schedule an emergency appointment:

• Extreme discomfort that lasts more than 24 hours
• Sharp pain when biting down
• Dental sensitivity that lasts more than 30 seconds
• A small bump has developed on the gums near the painful tooth
• Signs of a serious infection (i.e., swelling, fever, fatigue)

How you should handle a toothache: Floss around the tooth and rinse with salt water to make sure your pain isn’t caused by a stray piece of food that may be stuck between your teeth. If your pain persists, call us. Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and take ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Do not place aspirin directly on the tooth as that can irritate your gums and exacerbate your pain.

How we treat toothaches: In many cases, a severe toothache indicates that a cavity has reached the sensitive inner portion of the tooth, meaning a root canal may be necessary. However, we may recommend other treatments depending on the cause of your emergency. You might benefit from fillings, dental crowns, antibiotics, prescription mouthwash, gum disease treatment, root canal therapy, or extraction.

Learn More About Root Canal Therapy

Learn More About Gum Disease Treatment

Chipped Tooth

Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? Not always, but you should still visit an emergency dentist as soon as possible. Leaving a small chip untreated can cause the problem to worsen, eventually leading to severe damage or decay.

How you should handle a chipped tooth: If you’re able to retrieve the broken-off piece of tooth, pick it up, rinse it off, and bring it to your appointment. If the damage has created a jagged edge, you can place a piece of orthodontic wax onto the tooth to prevent it from scraping or irritating the inside of your cheeks or lip.

How we treat chipped teeth: Usually, a chipped tooth can be fixed with composite resin. However, you may want to consider getting a veneer if you’ve damaged a highly visible tooth, like a front tooth.

Learn More About Dental Bonding

Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency?

Yes! Seek treatment right away to prevent infection and further damage, especially if you’re experiencing pain or sensitivity after sustaining a blow to the face. Cracks aren’t always easy to see, so you may have hidden damage.

How you should handle a cracked tooth: Gently rinse your mouth with warm water to wash away any lingering bacteria. If needed, you can apply a cold compress or take over-the-counter pain reliever to ease your discomfort. While you wait for your appointment, make sure you avoid eating or chewing on the injured side of your mouth.

How we treat cracked teeth: Cracked teeth are usually fixed with custom-made dental crowns. If you have minor damage, we might be able to restore your smile with the same composite resin used for dental fillings. Meanwhile, a tooth that is damaged beyond repair may benefit from extraction. In that case, you may need to explore your tooth-replacement options.

Learn More About Dental Bonding

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? Many people experience temperature sensitivity to hot and cold foods. This isn’t usually a dental emergency. However, if you are experiencing new, lingering, or sharp tooth pain, give us a call so we can get to the bottom of it.

How you should handle sensitive teeth: Until you see us, avoid foods that are hot, cold, spicy, acidic, or sugary. Keep your smile clean by maintaining your oral hygiene routine and drinking plenty of water. If needed, take an over-the-counter pain reliever to manage your discomfort.

How we treat tooth sensitivity: To determine the cause of your tooth sensitivity and how to address it, we must examine your smile. We may recommend specialized dental products, prescription toothpaste, or a dental filling. Other treatments include gum disease therapy or root canal therapy.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Learn More About Gum Disease Therapy

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? If your tooth has been knocked out, this is an urgent dental emergency! You need to seek dental attention as soon as possible to save your tooth. Ideally, you should receive treatment within an hour.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: Begin by locating your tooth. When you touch it, avoid the root. Rinse your tooth off with warm, not hot, water and be careful not to scrub away any tissue attached to the tooth. If you can, put your tooth back into its socket. If you aren’t able to get it back in place, keep it in your cheek or place it into a container of milk or saliva. Your tooth needs to stay moist until you get to the practice, but don’t use water! Water can cause additional damage to the root surface cells of the tooth.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: If you get to the practice in time, we will do our best to reimplant your knocked-out tooth. Dr. Sikes does this by carefully positioning your tooth back into the socket and splinting it to the neighboring teeth. This way, it can begin the healing process. If he is unable to save your tooth, we can discuss tooth replacement options, like dental implants and bridges.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? Even if your tooth doesn’t hurt, you still need to have your filling or crown replaced to prevent further decay or damage. Dental fillings and crowns are made to be long-lasting, but they don’t last forever.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: If you are able, find your filling or crown and rinse it with water. Try to put it back into its place using dental wax. You can find this at your local drugstore in the dental section. Until you can see us, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and drink plenty of water to keep the area clean.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns: If your restoration is still looking good, we may be able to put it back. However, it is also important that we take the time to determine why it came out. This way, we can prevent it from occurring again.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? While dentures are designed to be durable and lifelike, they aren’t indestructible. If you’ve broken or damaged your denture, you’ll want to seek our help as soon as possible to address your situation. These prosthetics play a pivotal role in your quality of life, so we’ll want to get you back on track straight away.

How to handle a broken denture: Do not wear your broken denture. This can cause issues or even harm to your soft oral tissues, making the situation worse. Also, don’t attempt to repair your prosthetics on your own with household products like superglue, as this can be hazardous to you. Keep your dentures in water or a cleaning solution until you arrive at our office.

How we treat broken dentures: Treating your broken dentures will depend on the level of damage to them. Mild chips or cracks can easily be fixed with composite resign. Slightly warped dentures can also be realigned. But if the damage is beyond repair, we may need to either replace it with a new one or consider alternative options, like dental implants.

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Loose Permanent Tooth

Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? Your teeth should never feel loose, so if you notice this, be sure to notify our team immediately for help. This can be a sign of an underlying oral health problem that we’ll need to address right away.

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: To prevent your tooth from completely falling out, avoid touching it with your tongue or fingers. When drinking beverages or rinsing your mouth, be extra careful not to disturb the tooth. Avoid chewing on that side of your mouth.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: If your tooth was injured, we may be able to splint it to another healthy tooth so it can heal. We’ll also check the rest of your smile in case of any other developing issues, such as gum disease. If this is the problem, then periodontal therapy may be ideal. But if the tooth ends up needing to be extracted, our team can provide you with reliable tooth replacements like dental implants to renew your smile.

Learn More About Dental Implants

Learn More About Periodontal Therapy

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? If you’re experiencing a dislocated, fractured, or broken jaw, then you’ll want to head straight to the ER. However, our team can typically treat more common or mild jaw discomfort. Since this can be due to TMJ disorder, we can offer the treatment you need.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: You’ll want to keep the area clean by rinsing your mouth with water or salt water. Afterward, place a clean washcloth or gauze on the injury and apply pressure to control the bleeding. You can also use a cold compress outside your cheek to alleviate swelling and discomfort.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: If there’s been damage to your teeth, we’ll assess the situation and then provide the necessary care. This may involve suturing the wound. Just remember that if you can’t stop the bleeding within 10-15 minutes of the incident, go to your local ER straight away.

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Even if your tooth doesn’t hurt, you still need to have your filling or crown replaced to prevent further decay or damage. Dental fillings and crowns are made to be long-lasting, but they don’t last forever.

How you should handle jaw pain: Until you can see us, avoid munching on hard or crunchy foods that can put more pressure on your jaw. If necessary, take over-the-counter pain relievers and a cold compress to minimize any swelling and pain. You can also place a warm washcloth over your jaw to calm the muscles while resting.

How we treat jaw pain: Once we’ve determined the root of your jaw discomfort, we can provide the ideal solution to address it. We can offer nightguards for bruxism if you grind or clench your teeth during sleep, or TMJ therapy if you’re experiencing this kind of disorder. Whatever the case, you can be sure that we’ll do everything we can to help you return to good oral health.

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Learn More About TMJ Therapy

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Though this isn’t typically considered a dental emergency, you’ll want to take the proper steps to address the situation. Firstly, do not use any sharp objects to remove the stuck object, such as toothpicks, tweezers, or forks, as this can potentially harm you and the rest of your mouth. Instead, rinse with water and floss around your teeth to loosen the item. If this doesn’t help, then schedule a visit with us so that we can help dislodge the object.