Emergency

Current topic
Tennis injury may have damaged tooth (7/10/10)

Emergency Care

What should I do for a tooth ache?
Take whatever pain relief medication you have available. Never put aspirin directly on the tooth, take medicine internally. Often, ice packing and sitting, instead of lying down, will ease the pain. Place ice pack on for 10 minutes and off for 10 minutes.

My child's tooth was knocked out. What should I do?
Collect the tooth and place it immediately back into the socket if possible. Contact our office immediately, and bring the child to the office as quickly as possible. If you are unable to place the tooth in the socket, wrap it in a wet cloth, or place it in a glass of water. Time is of the essence.

I broke my tooth playing baseball with my son. What should
I do about it?
Avoid extremes of hot and cold (as they will only insult the injury). Contact the office without delay so that prompt treatment may avoid undue expense.

I lost a filling the other day and it has been giving me some discomfort. Is there anything I can do?
This is not an immediate emergency. Loss of a filling usually occurs because the old filling is worn out. Unless there is severe pain, the replacement of the restoration in the next few days should satisfy the problem. Some minor discomfort might be alleviated by the placement of cotton in the area.

I had a tooth taken out today, and it is still bleeding.
How do I stop it?
Place a wet tea bag in the mouth over the socket. Do not spit out blood, as this will only aggravate the problem. Call the office if bleeding continues.

My temporary crown fell out today. Is this a problem, or can I just wait for my next appointment?
While under treatment, should you at any time have temporary crowns that become dislodged, please have them replaced the same day if possible. We will make every effort to replace them the same day; however, a maximum of 4 hours is tolerable and will still maintain healthy tissue.

John V. Reitz, D.D.S., F.A.G.D.
Signature Dental Care
30 Commerce Drive
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Phone: 610-320-9993
E-mail: jreitz@reitzdds.com