You can’t anticipate a medical emergency, but you can be better prepared for it by having some supplies on hand just in case. To learn what you should have in the case of a dental emergency, call George A. Hoop, DDS today at (239) 594-8817 to get some professional advice from our dentist and team.
If you are experiencing an emergency type situation involving your teeth, gums, or some other part of your mouth, visit our Fort Myers, FL dentist office or North Naples, FL dentist office as soon as possible to get the speedy help you need. We will do our very best to provide a same-day appointment so we can:
- Get you out of pain as quickly as possible
- Assess your situation thoroughly
- Repair your smile with a variety of general dentistry and restorative dentistry options
The more quickly you see a dentist when you are in need of emergency dentistry, the better your chances at repairing your smile without issue. For example, if you knock out a tooth, you’ll have much higher odds of getting it put back into place if you visit a dentist within 30 minutes.
If you have an emergency that is causing you to bleed and you are unable to stop the bleeding, visiting your local emergency room as soon as possible. Then you can follow-up with us later to find out your options for repairing your smile once your condition is more stable.
To make paying for your care a little less stressful, we give you various options for paying. We even accept third-party financing through CareCredit and Lending Club, both of which offer no-interest options in many cases. We also accept:
- Cash
- Checks
- Most major credit cards
- A large variety of dental insurance policies
Learn What You Need In Case Of A Dental Emergency
Just like you keep antiseptic, adhesive bandages, and other various basic medical supplies on hand, you should keep a supply of some tools and material that will help you deal with emergencies that relate to your teeth and mouth.
You can purchase pre-made kits online or at some pharmacies or medical supply stores, but you can also compile your own and possibly for much cheaper.
One thing you should definitely have because it’s useful for a wide variety of emergencies, including dental ones, is some kind of gauze. If your mouth is bleeding, you can use the gauze to apply some gentle pressure to help stop the blood flow and assist in clotting. You can also use this soft material to apply various medications and avoid further irritation to an injury as well.
So you can rinse your mouth out and clean away blood, dirt, and any other substances that should not be in your mouth, you should also get some saline solution. You can buy this at just about any pharmacy or large grocery store or you can make your own using some salt and warm water.
You should also have some nitrile gloves. By wearing them when you are touching the inside of your mouth, you’ll avoid contaminating your mouth with any bad bacteria that may be on your fingers.
Some cotton swabs and/or cotton balls can also come in handy when you need to apply some form of medicine to the inside of your mouth, especially in areas toward the back of your mouth that may be difficult to comfortably reach.
To help you deal with any discomfort that may arise from your emergency, you should also keep some over-the-counter pain relievers. Benzocaine can also come in handy if you need to numb a certain area.
To help reduce swelling, apply an ice pack to the affected area. This will reduce inflammation and also numb the area some so you won’t feel nearly as much pain as you would otherwise. You can find self-contained ice packs that are shelf-stable and can be activated when you need them or use a plastic bag filled with ice and wrapped in a cloth.
Last but certainly not least, you should keep the phone number for your dentist office in a convenient place that you can get to in a hurry. The sooner you visit us when you have an emergency, the better. We’ll treat you quickly, help you calm down if necessary, and address your situation as gently as we possibly can.
Don’t be caught unprepared by a dental emergency. For professional advice and quality care, call George A. Hoop, DDS at (239) 594-8817. You can also use our online form to book in non-emergencies.