Our Services

What Is a Dental Emergency?

We classify a dental emergency as anything that causes discomfort, trouble chewing or talking, or more intense pain. Dental emergencies are always unexpected, and they can often throw a wrench into your daily plans. It is difficult to continue with work or school when you’re in pain. That’s why we accept new and returning patients for emergency appointments on a very quick turnaround. Here are some examples of emergencies experienced by our dentist patients in the 60659 or nearby Chicago, Lincolnwood, and Sauganash areas.

• Dental trauma, most notably when teeth are broken or knocked out
• Missing fillings or dental crowns, which expose the nerves in the teeth
• Intense pain in the face, which can make it hard to bite or chew
• Dental infections that cause pain and swelling in the tongue, gums and face
• TMJ, or lockjaw, a painful condition that makes it difficult to open and close your mouth

What to Do in a Dental Emergency

Many people try to relieve the pain caused by these conditions with over-the-counter medications, but this only provides temporary relief, and it does nothing to solve the underlying problem. The only way to end the pain and discomfort is to visit come to our office, 6122 N. Lincoln ave. in Chicago IL, 60659, and get quality emergency dental care.

Call our office right away to discuss your problem. We try to get returning patients in for appointments as soon as possible, usually same day. During regular business hours, we can also accept new patients with dental emergencies. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to lessen your pain and discomfort until we can see you for an appointment at our Phoenix-area office. Try the following:

• Before visiting the emergency dentist, rinse your mouth with warm water with salt. This will wash away germs and cleanse the area.
• If your tooth is broken or completely removed, place the tooth or fragment in a whole cup of milk or store it between your cheek and tongue to keep it moist. If your entire tooth has been knocked out, try to reinsert it first. If successful, bite down on a gauze pad to keep it in place.
• Make sure you can tell the dentist exactly what caused the dental emergency, such as getting hit in the face with a ball or falling down the stairs. The more details you can provide, the better. This will help the dentist determine the best treatment.
• Do not take aspirin before your visit. Instead, take ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
• During your initial visit, the dentist will perform an assessment of your teeth and mouth, checking for signs of infection and other disease. The dentist will then prepare you for the appropriate procedure.
• The time it takes to perform emergency dental care depends on the cause of the problem. For example, infection in the gums or teeth can generally be treated quickly, usually with a scraping or other cleaning procedure and a prescription for antibiotics to be taken at home.
• Other emergency dental procedures may take longer. For example, a broken tooth can take about two hours to set and repair, while a missing filling or crown can take an hour or so to replace. For knocked-out teeth, the dentist will either try to repair the tooth or begin the process of creating a bridge or implant.
• Most nerve-related dental emergencies, including TMJ or exposed nerves, are treated with a numbing agent placed right on the affected area. However, the dentist may schedule a follow-up to treat the source of the pain and prevent future dental emergencies.

Following each visit with the emergency dentist at our office in on Lincoln Ave. Chicago IL, 60659, you will receive home care instructions that show you how to care for your teeth and prevent future emergencies. Remember that regular dental visits, combined with good eating habits and oral hygiene, help protect your teeth from infection, disease and other issues that can cause you to seek emergency dental services.