Inconvenience is at the heart of any emergency, dental or otherwise. When an emergency comes your way, you want to know who you can turn to for help.
That’s why our website includes this helpful page on dental emergencies. Here you’ll find information on how to respond in specific circumstances until we can see you.
We can also offer tips for managing your emergency when you call us to schedule an appointment
Knocked Out Tooth – If you’ve just lost a permanent tooth, your first step—after giving us a call—should be to rinse your tooth with water to remove any debris. If you can, place the tooth back into the socket it came from and hold it in place until we can see you. If you can’t do this, store your tooth in a baggie of milk and bring it with you. During your visit, we can help you determine whether reattachment is possible.
Broken Tooth – If you have a cracked or broken tooth, rinse the area immediately with warm water and apply a cold compress to the affected tooth to reduce swelling. Hold the compress in place until our Boerne dental team can see you.
Temporary Crown Falls Out – It’s not uncommon for patients undergoing treatment with a traditional crown to lose their temporary crown. If this happens to you, dry your tooth and try to reattach your temporary with either a small dab of toothpaste or a small amount of denture adhesive. Then call our Boerne office so we can schedule a time for you to have your temporary crown reattached.
Severe Toothache – Are you experiencing a severe toothache? Before you call, try rinsing your mouth and flossing around the tooth first. If there’s something lodged around your tooth, this may relieve your discomfort. If it doesn’t, let us know and we’ll schedule a time for you to meet with Dr. Mackie.
Something Caught between Teeth – If you have a piece of debris caught between your teeth, try using dental floss to remove it. If that doesn’t help, then give our Boerne office a call to schedule a visit. Don’t use sharp instruments of any kind to dislodge the debris, because this can lead to a more serious injury.
For other emergencies involving your mouth, such as a broken jaw or bleeding that won’t stop, you should visit your local emergency room instead of giving us a call. Once your emergency has been resolved there, follow up with us if you need to have one or more teeth restored or replaced.