Dental Emergencies in Vancouver, WA
Call us first thing in the morning. We make emergencies a priority.
Have a dental emergency? Call (360) 574-7477. Call us in the morning and we will make every effort to see you the same day. Please don't wait. Dental infections can become serious enough to require hospitalization.
Go to a hospital emergency room or call 911 right away if you have swelling that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, swelling that spreads toward your eye or down your neck, a high fever with facial swelling, or heavy bleeding that won't stop.
Toothache
A toothache can come from many causes, including deep decay, a problem with the nerve of the tooth, gum disease, wisdom teeth, or infection. What to do:
- Call for a dental appointment right away.
- Keep your head elevated. Throbbing pain often pulses with your heartbeat. Raising your head, including propping it up at night, lowers the pressure in the inflamed tissue.
- Try a cold pack on the outside of your cheek, 15 to 20 minutes at a time, unless cold makes the pain worse.
- Consider an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an option if you can't take those. Follow the label directions carefully, and check with your pharmacist or physician if you have medical conditions or take other medicines.
- Don't put aspirin or pain tablets directly on the gum. They can burn the tissue.
Swelling
Swelling of the face or gums is often a sign of infection. This is serious, so don't lose any time. What to do:
- Call for a dental appointment right away.
- If you can't reach a dentist right away, go to a hospital emergency room.
- Don't apply heat to a swollen area. Heat can make an infection spread faster.
Broken or Cracked Teeth
Broken teeth range from small chips to major fractures, including vertical fractures that extend into the root. Don't leave a broken tooth untreated, because many broken teeth are at risk for decay and further breakage.
Sometimes a tooth hurts when you bite, but no crack is visible. Some of these teeth have cracked tooth syndrome. Don't postpone care, as a crack can spread far enough to cause loss of the tooth. Until you are seen, chew on the other side and avoid very hot, cold, or hard foods.
Knocked-Out Tooth
A permanent tooth that has been knocked out can often be saved if you act within the first hour. What to do:
- Pick up the tooth by the crown (the chewing part), not the root.
- If it's dirty, rinse it gently with milk or water for a few seconds. Don't scrub it or remove any tissue attached to it.
- If you can, place it back in the socket and hold it there by biting gently on a clean cloth.
- If you can't put it back, keep it moist in a small container of milk or in the person's saliva. Don't store it in plain water or let it dry out.
- Call us immediately. Time matters most for saving the tooth.
Lost Filling or Crown
If a filling or crown comes out, save the crown and call us for an appointment. Keep the area clean, and chew on the other side. Don't glue a crown back in place with household glue.
Dental Injuries
Dental injuries often happen in accidents, and dental care is sometimes postponed while other medical care comes first. We recommend an early dental exam whenever an injury to the teeth or jaw is suspected. Some signs and symptoms appear weeks after an accident, which is another good reason for regular checkups.
by Keith Collins, DMD
