Dental Emergency FAQs

Emergency Dentist in Rockville, Maryland

If you are experiencing a dental emergency near me in Rockville MD, the first thing you should do is call us at 301-424-2030, or text our after-hours number at 301-424-2030.

We are here to help you with any dental emergencies or tooth pain you are experiencing and have finally given up.  Here are some FAQs for you to read thru.

While you are contacting us, there are a few steps you can take to ensure that your tooth pain or tooth emergency does not get any worse. Read our FAQs to discover how you can address major concerns while you contact your dentist Rockville MD, Dr. Norkiewicz.

At Rockville Dental Arts we always schedule emergency time throughout the day.  Whether your dental pain or broken tooth happens in the morning or in the afternoon or on the weekend we always have time to see you!  We also cater to dental emergencies and are the quickest and most painless emergency dentist near me open now in Rockville MD. Most dental emergencies are fixed in under an hour!

Dental Emergency FAQs

Problem: You have Tooth Pain

The #1 culprit of dental emergencies is generalized tooth pain usually from the teeth and gums.

If you are experiencing a dull, achy or sharp stabbing pain in the tooth usually it is a result of a bad tooth or nerve pain.  This can happen from decay in your tooth that eats its way into the pulp or nerve area of the tooth.  You could also have a dead tooth.

It could also be from a wisdom tooth in which case it is usually best to have the wisdom tooth removed.

In general third molars, as they are also called, are “extra” teeth and rarely come into the mouth correctly.  They could be angled or impacted meaning you will never be able to chew with them.  Also, being extremely far back in the mouth they are hard to keep clean and are subject to tooth decay and gum disease.

The best treatment for tooth pain is over the counter pain reliever like advil.  You can take 800mg of ibubrofen(same as advil) every 6 hours as needed.

Tooth Nerve Death

If you have significant decay in your tooth you may be wondering how long does it take for a tooth nerve to die? 

Once the bacteria penetrate into the nerve of the tooth death will surely start.  The process can take weeks or months or even years for the nerve to die.  Problem is that we never know when the nerve will die, but we do know if your tooth hurts a certain way then you probably have a dying tooth. 

There are many dental nerve damage symptoms that can happen.  For example, if the tooth wakes you up a night that is usually a classic symptom that you have irreparable tooth nerve damage and will likely need a root canal.  Your tooth can also hurt to cold and linger for longer than 30 seconds.  This is also a telltale sign that there is a dead nerve in tooth.  

If the nerve is dead then you will likely need a tooth nerve removal, also known as a root canal.  A root canal on a non vital tooth is usually a very simple straight forward procedure.  The process takes about an hour and you will be numbed just like for a filling.  Afterwards you may have soreness in the tooth for about one to two days.

The other option for dead tooth treatment is tooth extraction.  In removing the whole tooth we also remove the dead tooth nerve.  It is always better to save the tooth with a root canal than to remove the whole tooth if possible.

Treating Tooth Pain

The best short term remedy for tooth pain is to take 600-800 mg of Ibuprofen every 6 hours and alternate with 500 mg of Tylenol.  The pain can be caused by hot or cold or to biting pressure.  If the pain is spontaneous and hurts all the time then the nerve in the tooth is definitely affected.  Usually the anti inflammatory medicine will dull the pain until you can get to a dentist.

Ambesol or topical anesthetics usually do not help as they only numb the gum tissue and will not soak deep into the tooth.  Do not put aspirin on the gums as that will cause a chemical burn on the gum.

Do not go to the hospital emergency departement!  The doctors on staff are not trained to handle dental pain and will only waste your time and give you pain medicine and antibiotics as we just described.  After taking the pain medicine contact us to see if there is anything else you can do and make an appointment to come in right away!  Seek emergency dental care within a day or two as the tooth will most likely need a root canal or extraction.

The antibiotics and pain medication will help the pain relief subside in the meantime but they are only temporary.  Some home remedies include apply pressure with a cold compress to the affected side to help alleviate tooth pain.  Avoid brushing and flossing the area as that may cause additional discomfort.

Problem: Gum Swelling

If your gum is swollen around your tooth or wisdom tooth or in your face or cheek then the likely cause is from a tooth infection or it’s a sign of gum disease.  You will need to see a dentist right away because you will need to go on antibiotics to control the infection and prevent the infection from entering your blood stream.  Call us immediately if you have swollen gum tissues.

Swelling around a lower wisdom tooth is known as pericorinitis.  Generally when there is not room for the wisdom tooth to erupt into the mouth the gum tissue only covers half of the erupting wisdom tooth.  The gum tissue is loosely attached and subject to food impaction and bacterial growth.  Then infection ensues.  The only treatment for pericorinitis is to remove the lower wisdom tooth and the upper as well.

Swelling can be caused from a cracked tooth or from a root canal infection, but either way the prognosis of the tooth is not good if the infection is that bad.  Regular dental health is important to prevent problems like this from occurring.

Avoid alcohol and tobacco as this may make your swollen gums worse off.  Call your dentist immediately.

Problem: Lock Jaw

Sometimes your jaw can hurt or become locked open or locked closed.  If you are experiencing jaw pain or lock jaw then you need to see a dentist right away to fix your TMJ.

Our dentists are trained to handle your jaw pain.  Usually some gentle massage or an anterior deprogrammer will help alleviate the lock jaw and the jaw pain associated with it.

To prevent it from happening again our dentists will recommend that you wear an occlusal orthotic, also known as a night guard.  Our dentists are trained to fit you for these and help prevent lock jaw from ever happening again!  Read about the benefits of TMJ treatment.

Problem: Knocked out tooth

If you have an injury to the teeth whereby a tooth is totally knocked out then first and foremost find the tooth.  Quick fix: Pick up the tooth by the top or around the sides – never touch the roots if you can help it. Hold it by the crown.  Rinse it off very carefully with water without scrubbing, just to remove any dirt from where it fell. Put the tooth with the roots down back into the socket it came from, and gently bite down to hold it in place.

If this won’t work, put the tooth in a cup of milk and then get to the Rockville emergency dentist right away.  Contact us for an emergency dental care appointment asap.  This type of dental problem needs immediate attention.

Problem: A tooth was knocked out of place, but is still connected to the gum.

Quick fix: If your tooth is sticking out funny, but still connected to your gums, try pushing the tooth back into place, and then bite down gently to keep the tooth from moving. Rinse your mouth with warm water and take some form of pain relievers.  If this causes you pain, stop and call us right away.  If the tooth was knocked out of place then it will need to be splinted to the adjacent teeth for 3-4 weeks to hold it in place to stabilize.  Usually the tooth will also need a root canal down the road as well.

We offer emergency dentistry for this exact scenario.  Dental emergencies are never planned.  They happen when  you least expect them.

Other Dental Emergency FAQs

The two issues listed above need to be addressed right away. There are other common dental emergencies such as:

• Cracked or chipped tooth
• Wound on your cheek, lip, tongue, etc.
• Issue with a crown or other restoration
• Your dental implant crown is loose

These may not be emergencies. Call or text us if you are not sure.

If you are:

• Bleeding from the mouth
• In severe pain due to the injury
• Have loose or knocked out teeth
• Have swelling, bulges, or knots on your mouth or gums

…then you should call us for an emergency appointment.

Contact Your Emergency Dentist in Rockville MD

If you are looking for emergency dentist near me open now then call us right away or text us at 301-424-2030.  Your oral health is very important to us!

Texting our after-hours number 301-424-2030 is the best way to get in touch with us to schedule an appointment in Rockville MD at Rockville Dental Arts.