Do you have a dental emergency? Call us immediately, and we’ll see you as soon as possible.

Here are some tips for dealing with common dental emergencies until you can get in to see us.

If you have a toothache, rinse your mouth with warm water, and try flossing to dislodge any food that may be stuck. You can apply a cold compress to the face to reduce swelling, but never apply a pain reliever like aspirin directly to the gums near the sore tooth because you might burn the gum tissue.

Did you chip or break a tooth? Save the pieces. If you are bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and pain.

Have you knocked an adult tooth out? Rinse the tooth if it’s dirty, but don’t scrub or remove any tissue fragments. Try to put the tooth back in place, but don’t force it. If that’s not possible, place the tooth in a glass of milk or a cup of water with a pinch of salt if you don’t have milk. You have the highest chance of saving the tooth if it’s returned to the mouth within an hour. If you haven’t lost the tooth yet, but it’s partially dislodged, apply a cold compress and take an over the counter pain reliever if needed.

Something stuck between your teeth? Try using floss to dislodge it. Never pick at it with a needle or other sharp object as you could cut your gums or scratch the tooth’s surface.

Lose a filling? Put a piece of sugarless gum over the tooth, or use an over-the-counter dental cement. PS: the gum has to be sugarless…sugared gum will cause you a certain amount of discomfort.

If you’ve have a crown fall off, DO NOT USE SUPERGLUE TO REATTACH IT. If the tooth is sensitive, use an over-the-counter topical anesthetic. If possible, coat the interior of the crown with an over-the-counter dental cement and slip the crown back over the tooth. DO NOT USE SUPER GLUE!

Broken braces wire? Try using an eraser to push the wire back into a more comfortable position. If that doesn’t help, try covering the wire with orthodontic wax or a small cotton ball. Don’t cut the wire, you could swallow it or inhale it into your lungs.