Emergency Dentist Jerome

We’re Here for You When a Dental Crisis Occurs

Woman holding her cheek in pain before seeing emergency dentist in Jerome

Burton Family Dental Jerome encourages you to call our office right away if you or a loved one experiences a dental emergency. Helping you out of pain is our priority, so you can entrust us to work quickly as we address your immediate symptoms as well as develop a custom treatment plan to repair the underlying issue. As an emergency dentist in Jerome, Dr. Burton sees all types of dental injuries, so you can count on us to be here for you when a crisis occurs.

 

Why Choose Burton Family Dental Jerome for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Nitrous Oxide Sedation Available for Nervous Patients
  • Emergency Dentist with 10+ Years of Experience
  • Safe & Effective Treatment for Children and Adults

 

How We Handle Dental Emergencies

Woman holding her face in pain while talking to emergency dentist
  • Call our office – The first thing you’ll want to do is call our office. Letting us know about your emergency is the fastest way to get in for an appointment. While working to schedule a time for you to come in, we’ll also offer instructions on how to take care of your problem while you wait at home.
  • Be seen by Dr. Burton – Once in our office, we will escort you to a treatment room and take images of your mouth. Dr. Burton will then examine the problem area and develop a treatment plan based on her findings.
  • Receive essential care – After discussing how we plan to treat your injury, we will begin to execute each step to help you out of pain and restore your smile. This might include antibiotics, a dental filling, a custom dental crown, root canal treatment, tooth extraction, or tooth replacement.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

The kinds of dental injuries that can occur are vast; however, most can be treated by a trusted emergency dentist like Dr. Burton. While it might seem as if going to your local ER is the better option, you’ll avoid long wait times by calling our office for an appointment. If you’re unsure whether the problem you’re experiencing is an actual emergency, please, view the icons below to learn more.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Man with glasses leaning forward and smiling

Some dental emergencies are simply unavoidable. That being said, though, it is possible to significantly lower the chances of urgent dental problems occurring by following a few simple steps. While our team is ready to help if a dental emergency strikes, we’d prefer to help our patients avoid oral health issues in the first place. As such, here are some tips for reducing your risk of needing emergency dental care.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Woman in pink shirt sitting in dental chair and smiling

Even if your smile feels fine, you should take the time to visit your dentist twice a year. These appointments can help you get rid of harmful plaque and tartar long before they can result in cavities. On top of that, many dental issues often go unnoticed during their earliest stages. Our team can identify the potential warning signs of gum disease and tooth decay so that they can be dealt with before they turn into emergencies.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene At Home

Man in white shirt brushing his teeth in the bathroom mirror

Many dental emergencies are the result of missteps in oral hygiene. Failing to keep your mouth clean can significantly raise your risk for cavities and gum infections. It’s highly recommended that you brush at least two times a day for two minutes each in order to protect your smile. You should also get in the habit of flossing daily so that you can clean the spaces between your teeth that you can’t reach with a toothbrush.

Stick to a Nutritious Diet

Close-up of person in sweater eating a salad

Eating too many sugary and starchy foods will make you more likely to suffer from tooth decay and gum disease. That doesn’t mean that you need to avoid such foods altogether; you simply need to enjoy them in moderation to minimize the impact they have on your oral health. Try to eat more foods that are good for your teeth and gums. Crunchy fruits and vegetables can be a great choice since simply chewing them can help get rid of plaque.

Wear a Mouthguard

Close-up of woman holding mouthguard

Plenty of sports and other athletic activities come with the risk of suffering from a sudden blow to the mouth or jaw. As such, it’s a good idea to get a mouthguard in order to ensure that your teeth are protected if an accident happens. On top of that, you may also want to get a nightguard, which is a type of mouthguard that is worn when you go to bed. This appliance can help protect your teeth from any grinding or clenching that might occur while you slumber.

Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth

Man sitting on couch opening a package

The temptation to use your teeth to open a stubborn package can be very strong. However, over time it can end up weakening your enamel, thus leaving your smile more susceptible to damage. Thus, instead of tearing open packages with your teeth, you should instead use an appropriate tool, such as a pair of scissors.

Dental Emergency FAQs

What Does Throbbing Tooth Pain Mean?

If you are experiencing throbbing tooth pain, it is likely a sign of an infection or inflammation within the tooth. Cavities or cracks allow air and bacteria to reach the sensitive inner area of your tooth where the pulp lies. This can result in painful irritation and potential infection of the pulp nerves. This can also occur if tooth decay is present.

In other cases, throbbing teeth could be due to chronic teeth grinding and jaw clenching.  If you are experiencing throbbing pain, schedule an emergency appointment with your dentist near Jerome as soon as possible.

Will a Toothache Go Away on Its Own?

Generally, toothaches will not go away on their own. For this reason, it is best to schedule an emergency appointment with Dr. Burton as soon as possible to rule out anything serious. This can help her catch any underlying problems before they get worse.

Sometimes, toothaches involve pain around the tooth and not inside it. These can go away on their own, for example if they are caused by an irritation in the gum surrounding the tooth.

How Should I Sleep with Tooth Pain?

When dealing with a toothache at night, keep your head elevated above your feet. This will prevent blood from rushing to your head and intensifying your toothache. To help keep you comfortable, you can take over-the-counter pain reliever as needed and avoid foods that are acidic or hard right before bed. A cold compress held to the face over the aching tooth can also help dull some of the discomfort so you can sleep. Be sure to contact your emergency dentist near Jerome in the morning and schedule an emergency appointment if you have not already.

How Do I Know if My Toothache is an Infection?

If you have a sore or throbbing tooth, it is likely that it is infected. If it is accompanied by a bitter taste in your mouth, chronic bad breath, tooth sensitivity, the loosening of teeth, red or swollen gums, or a draining sore on the gums surrounding the aching tooth, it is most likely a dental infection.

The only way to know for sure if your tooth is infected is to schedule an emergency appointment with Dr. Burton who can take X-rays and provide a detailed diagnosis.

Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Toothaches don’t always warrant a same-day visit. You should, however, call us to schedule an appointment, especially if you’ve been in pain for several days, there is a pimple-like bump on your gums, or there is dark discoloration on your tooth.

How You Should Handle a Toothache There are a few short-term measures you can take to alleviate discomfort until your appointment, like rinsing periodically with warm saltwater, using a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time, and taking OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Toothaches First, we need to determine what’s causing your toothache. Then, we can discuss your treatment options, like a tooth-colored filling, dental crown, or root canal. Since we offer same-day restorations, the process of restoring the look, health, and function of your tooth is more efficient, convenient, and painless than ever.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL CROWNS

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? If you aren’t experiencing any pain, soreness, or sensitivity, then scheduling an emergency exam isn’t necessary. That said, you should still schedule an appointment with us so we can take a look at your tooth and make sure it isn’t at-risk of breaking further.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth Basically, you want to avoid doing anything that will damage your tooth further. For that reason, we don’t recommend chewing on that side of your mouth or touching the tooth with your finger. Instead, cover the sharp edge with some dental wax (or sugar-free gum), and get to our office as soon as you can for the necessary care.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth There are two ways Dr. Burton can restore the missing structure: with dental bonding or with a veneer. The treatment that’s best for you will depend on a few factors, including the extent of the damage.

Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? A cracked tooth is not only at risk of breaking further, but it’s also at risk of developing an infection. That’s why – even if the damage is relatively minor – we recommend scheduling an emergency appointment with Dr. Burton ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth To protect your tooth from further harm until your appointment, there are a few things you should NOT do: don’t chew on that side of your mouth, don’t touch the tooth with your finger, and don’t drink or eat anything that’s hot/cold.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Fortunately, cracked teeth can often be covered (and saved) with a custom dental crown. If the damage is so severe that the tooth cannot be saved, then we will have no choice but to extract it. Then, we can fill the open space with a dental bridge or implant.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Knocked-Out Tooth

Lost Filling or Crown

Broken Denture

Loose Permanent Tooth

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Jaw Pain

Something Stuck Between the Teeth