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Can You Handle A Dental Emergency?

Phoenix after hours dental

At Harris Dental, we hope you never experience a serious dental emergency. It’s important, however, to know what to do in such a situation. Here is a quiz on both dental emergencies and less urgent oral issues.

1. One of the wires on your braces breaks. What do you do?

a. Cut off the loose piece.
b. Put a piece of orthodontic wax on the end if it is irritating your tongue or gums. Schedule an appointment with your orthodontist to have it fixed.
c. If the wire has cut your gums, rinse with a solution of salt and water.

Both b and c are correct. If you don’t have a piece of orthodontic wax, you can use a cotton ball to cover the sharp end. If you cut off the loose end of the wire, you risk swallowing it.

2. Your five year-old falls off his bike, hits his face on the sidewalk, and knocks out one of his front teeth. What do you do before driving immediately to the nearest Phoenix dental office or Mesa ER?

a. Put the tooth back in the socket.
b. If the tooth is dirty, scrub it with a brush.
c. Put the tooth in milk.

The answer depends on whether it is a permanent tooth or a baby tooth. If a permanent tooth is knocked out, it may be successfully re-implanted if done quickly. Make sure you only hold the tooth by the crown; never touch the root. If the tooth is dirty, rinse it gently with water, being cautious not to brush off any tissue attached. It is best to reinsert the tooth into the socket. This may not be possible with younger children.

Because it is essential to keep the tooth from drying out on your way to your Mesa dentist or nearest Phoenix area emergency room, you can put the tooth in a cup of milk. Baby teeth should not be reinserted because it can potentially damage the emerging tooth.

3. You lose a filling and the tooth starts hurting. After
scheduling an appointment with your Phoenix dentist, what do you do in the meantime?

a. Save the filling.
b. Take an OTC pain reliever.
c. Put an aspirin on the tooth.

Both a and b are correct. Though your Phoenix dentist probably can’t use the same filling to repair the problem, it may reveal important information about the cause of the separation. Never put an aspirin on a tooth because the acid in it could irritate your gums.

4. One of your teeth suddenly darkens. What are the possible causes?

a. The nerve inside the tooth is damaged.
b. It is side effect of a medication you are taking.
c. Gum disease.
d. An infection.

The answer is all of the above.

For any dental emergency or other oral condition, call an urgent dental care office or Harris Dental in Phoenix. We have been providing quality dental care for Phoenix, Mesa, and Chandler residents since 1979. If you add our address and phone number (480-428-0040) to your phone contacts right now, you won’t have to search for it in the case of an emergency.

Harris Dental
Phoenix Location:

4444 N 32 St, Ste 208
Phoenix, AZ 85018
/phoenix/

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Nicole Z

She had always wanted a new smile for graduation. Nicole had worked her whole school life to become a lawyer and she wanted a smile to match her academic accomplishment. She had some size discrepancies and positioning of her teeth. So, after sending in a Smile Virtual consult and looking at her personal video she knew what she wanted to do. We decided to have 10 conservative veneers done to widen her smile and correct the tooth size she was concerned about. Her graduation pictures were beautiful.

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Nicole J

Nicole had braces when she was younger and also had some gum surgery that left some scarring. She sent me a Smile Virtual consult request to see if there was anything possible to correct her smile. I was able to describe what was possible in her personal video. She never thought that what I described was possible. She decided to move ahead after her consultation. We were able to correct the past orthodontic care and gum treatment with a gum lift and 10 veneers. She had a beautiful result for her wedding pictures

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Jenn

She had seen all the other patients we worked with on Instagram. She really liked what she saw, and wanted to know more. She clicked the link in my Bio, submitted a selfie smile, and I sent her a personal video through Smile Virtual. I went through the veneer process and examples of other smiles, and how much things would cost. She liked what she saw and asked to schedule an appointment. We delivered 10 veneers other top teeth and 8 veneers on the bottom.

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Maria

Maria had treatment in another country. This treatment created discolouring, uneven surfaces, and shapes. She wanted her smile whiter and even. Because there was a language barrier, the Smile Virtual Consult created a perfect opportunity to show her what was possible. After looking at her personal video, she decided to have 10 conservative veneers. She finally achieved her perfect smile.

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Nicole P

She had a nice wide smile, but her teeth always looked small. She had tried whitening, but that didn’t achieve the look she wanted. After going through the details of her smile on the Smile Virtual consult, she saw how her gums were creating asymmetries. She decided that she wanted to have 12 veneers with a gum lift. The gum lift helped to create the perfect frame and size for her beautiful new smile.

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Lexi

She was not happy with the shape and position of her teeth. A side tooth was missing, and her bite caused functional issues. With a Smile Virtual consult she was able to hear that I had a deep knowledge base about bite issues and she could see that we could correct old dental work. 9 porcelain veneers and an implant crown were done to transform her smile.
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