Emergency Dental Services

If you are experiencing moderate to severe swelling, pain, or discomfort in your mouth or jaw area, call us as soon as possible. We will do everything we can to get you in.

In the meantime, try these tips to help alleviate pain:

• Apply a cold compress to your cheek, over the area causing pain.
• Take an over-the-counter pain medication.
• Use salt water to flush the area that is in pain.

Please note that if the swelling impacts your ability to breathe, you should seek emergency medical care at a hospital as soon as possible.
 

If your crown falls off, don't panic. Call our office right away to request an appointment to have it reattached.

Ideally, you should receive dental care the day your crown falls off. Since crowns are often used to cover holes or areas of weakness in a tooth, the nerves or pulp of the tooth may be exposed, resulting in further damage. If you cannot get to the dentist right away, you can cover the affected tooth with temporary dental cement or wax from a pharmacy to lessen the discomfort or sensitivity you may be feeling.

If you still have your crown, rinse it gently with warm water and place it in a container to bring to your appointment. Sometimes, we can reattach your existing crown, which can save you from having to get a new one made.

If a filling falls out of your tooth, call us to make an appointment as soon as possible. Odds are, your filling was covering a hole left by a cavity. If that hole is no longer covered, food and debris can become trapped inside and the tooth will be susceptible to additional decay.

While you wait for your appointment, keep the area clean and avoid chewing on the affected side until you get the filling replaced.

If you break or chip a tooth, try to find the missing piece and keep it in a clean container. If you bring it to your appointment with you, there is a chance your dentist can reattach it. Whether the piece is found or not, call our office right away to have it repaired.

If your tooth gets knocked out, call our office as soon as possible. The sooner you can be treated after losing a tooth, the better chance our dentists have of saving it.

If you can find your tooth, pick it up by the crown and rinse it in warm water. Try to reinsert it into its socket. If you can get the tooth back in, gently bite down to hold it in place. If you can't reinsert it yourself, put it in a container of milk to preserve it and bring it to your appointment.

If you are in pain, you can take over-the-counter pain medication. To reduce swelling, apply a cold compress against your cheek where your tooth has fallen out.

If your tooth cannot be saved, our Waterloo dentists offers a number of restorative options, such as dentures and dental implants, that can be used to fill the gap.