Emergency Dentistry – Las Cruces, NM
The Relief You Need – Right Away
You may not be able to plan for a dental emergency, but patients of Painted Skies Dental Center in Las Cruces know they always have a place to turn when the unavoidable happens. If you or a loved one experience a dental emergency, call our team right away. We’ll walk you through first aid over the phone to relieve pain and prevent further damage. In most cases, we can schedule an appointment on the same day you call for emergency dentistry in Las Cruces, NM.
Why Choose Painted Skies Dental Center for Emergency Dentistry?
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Same-Day Emergency
Visits - Comprehensive Dental Services
- Advanced Dental Technology
Common Dental Emergencies
If you’re in pain or have experienced dental trauma of some kind that you feel like needs to be treated immediately, we do too. If you believe your dental emergency may be placing your life at risk or that you need emergency care for more than just your smile, we recommend you visit a local emergency clinic or call emergency services. One of our team members will happily partner with your medical doctors to repair your smile in conjunction with other services. The most important thing is to ensure you remain safe and healthy. Some of the dental emergencies we treat include:
- Broken or damaged teeth or dental restorations
- Knocked out teeth or dental restorations
- Damaged or bent partial or full dentures
- Severe toothache or dental sensitivity that may indicate the need for root canal therapy
- Soft tissue lacerations
Caring for Your Smile at Home
When you experience a dental emergency, one of our skilled team members will walk you through caring for your smile at home, so you don’t need to worry about memorizing emergency dental care tips. However, we know many patients feel better knowing they have a plan to prevent further damage and relieve pain at home. Some of the easy, at home emergency care methods we often recommend include:
- Clean the area that has been damaged. Rinse out your mouth with cool water, and if you have all or part of a tooth or restoration knocked out, carefully rinse the tooth or prosthetic with cool water as well.
- Don’t brush or scrub the damaged area, lost tooth, or restoration, and don’t apply toothpaste, mouthwash, or other cleanser unless expressly directed to do so by the dentist.
- Use cold compresses or ice packs at twenty-minute intervals (20 on/20 off) to relieve pain, prevent swelling, or stop bleeding.
- You can apply gentle pressure using clean cloth or gauze to stop bleeding.
- If you have a knocked-out tooth, you may be able to replace it in the original socket. If you’re not able to replace the tooth, store it in a container of water or milk until you reach our dental office.
Preventing Dental Emergencies
Some dental emergencies are unavoidable, but there are some habits that put patients at higher risk to experience a dental emergency. Some of the basic ways to limit your risk for dental emergencies include:
- Brush and floss your teeth every day.
- Visit the dentist every six months for a checkup.
- Do not use your teeth as tools to open packages or crack nuts.
- Do not chew ice, nails, or pen caps.
- Wear your mouthguard to protect teeth during athletic events or prevent damage from nighttime teeth grinding.
Root Canal Therapy
Root canals have a reputation for being extremely painful, but this safe, effective treatment is actually a great solution for preserving a damaged tooth and avoiding extraction. The painful infection leading up to root canal therapy is actually where the procedure’s bad reputation stems from. The inner, pulp, layer of the tooth houses the nerve system. When decay or damage reaches this layer, the resulting toothache can be excruciating. The good news is that root canals dramatically decrease this discomfort right away. The process is fairly straightforward. A small access hole is drilled into the affected tooth, and the infected pulp and nerve are removed. Then, we reseal the treated tooth, and in some cases, we may need to place a dental crown to fully restore strength to the tooth.
Learn More about Root Canal Treatment
Tooth Extractions
We typically try to preserve patients’ natural dental structure, but there are some cases where tooth extraction is the best option to ensure overall oral health. In the following situations, we may recommend tooth removal in order to keep smiles healthy:
- As part of orthodontic treatment when patients do not have adequate space to accommodate the shifting of teeth into their proper alignment
- In preparation for a full or partial denture, one or more teeth may need to be extracted if they are damaged or will make the denture uncomfortable
- When patients experience severe decay or damage that compromises too much of the dental structure for us to restore
- The third molars, wisdom teeth, are the last to erupt into patients’ smiles and the most frequently extracted as patients often do not have adequate space to accommodate these teeth within their smiles
Emergency Dentistry FAQs
Will my toothache go away on its own?
Toothaches don’t generally go away on their own, so it is best to schedule a checkup to ensure that nothing serious is going on. There are many potential causes for a toothache, and you’ll want to rule them out with a professional as soon as possible. Doing this can help you to catch underlying problems before they become more severe.
How should I sleep with tooth pain?
It can be difficult to get quality sleep when you are dealing with a nagging toothache. Until you’re able to see your emergency dentist in the morning, keep your head elevated. This will prevent blood from rushing to your head and intensifying your toothache. Additionally, take over-the-counter pain relievers as needed and avoid foods that are acidic, cold, or hard right before bed. Cold compresses can also help to numb discomfort.
Should I visit the emergency room first for dental emergencies?
Most emergency rooms aren’t able to address dental emergencies effectively, so an emergency dentist is generally the best option. However, there are a few main exceptions. You should head directly to an emergency room if you have experienced a jaw fracture or dislocation, serious cut or laceration to the face or mouth, or an abscess or infection that is swollen to the point of affecting breathing or swallowing. In virtually all other circumstances, you should visit a dentist first.
Should knocked-out teeth be placed in water?
Water can be used to rinse a knocked-out tooth, but the tooth should not be placed in water. This is because water can damage the root surface cells of teeth, therefore reducing the chances of it being able to be placed back into the socket. Instead, do you best to place the tooth back into the open socket yourself. If you are unable to do so, place it in a container of milk, saline, or saliva while you head to the dental office.