Our Services / Emergency Dental Care

What is emergency dental care?

Emergency dental care is an area of practice focused on addressing urgent dental health issues. Just like with your physical health, dental problems can arise with little advance notice, often at inconvenient times that fall outside normal business hours. 

Knowing where to turn for urgent dental care can make it easier to manage a dental emergency. You can focus on staying calm and addressing your immediate needs without the added burden of trying to figure out which dental offices offer these services and where you can be seen promptly.

How do I know if my issue is a dental emergency?

Deciding what is and is not a true emergency isn’t always a simple and straightforward process. One way to go about it is to consider how long you feel you can wait to have your condition treated.

If you are not in significant pain and have not damaged the structural integrity of your teeth, you may be able to wait to see Dr. Grotz during a routinely scheduled office visit. But if you are in pain or have sustained damage to your tooth or gum tissue, an emergency dental visit might be the right course of action. 

Some of the issues that can be treated in emergency dentistry include:

• Chipped tooth
• Fractured or broken tooth
• Knocked out (avulsed) tooth
• Object trapped between teeth or in gum tissue
• Severe pain
• Signs of infection
• Damage to your tongue or other oral tissues

If you’re uncertain if your concern is a true dental emergency, just call the office to explain your circumstances and learn what to do next. 

What should I do for a knocked-out tooth?

Knocked-out or avulsed teeth are among the most common types of dental emergencies seen at OakGrove Family Dental. Knowing how to respond can make the difference between saving or losing the tooth. 

The portion of your tooth that’s normally protected by gum tissue (the root) is covered with living cells. Keeping those cells viable is what makes it possible for some knocked-out teeth to be successfully re-implanted. 

If you lose a tooth, avoid touching the root portion as you pick it up and quickly rinse it under a gentle stream of water. If possible, place the tooth back into the socket, and hold it in place by biting down gently on a piece of gauze or clean cloth. 

You can also place the tooth in the space between your cheek and gum tissue until you can be seen at OakGrove Family Dental. This allows the tooth to remain in contact with your saliva, which is beneficial to the cells on the root. You can also place the tooth in a small container covered with warm milk. 

No matter what kind of dental emergency you encounter, the team at OakGrove Family Dental is here to help. Simply call the office to see when you can come in, and keep in mind that online scheduling is always available for less urgent family dentistry booking needs.