Unfortunately, some dental emergencies happen after normal business hours, so Pfeifferhorn Dental is happy to provide emergency dental care in Provo, Utah. If you or a family member needs urgent care, please contact Dr. Porter for prompt attention. We don’t want you to be uncomfortable longer than necessary, so please call us to learn more about our emergency dental care, at 801-615-2917.A dental emergency is any type of oral health problem that required immediate attention from a dentist to resolve. These types of problems include:
- Severe toothaches or other types of tooth pain
- Lost fillings or crowns
- Cracked or fractured teeth
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Partially or fully knocked-out teeth
- Damage to the soft tissues of the mouth (tongue, cheeks, lips, gums, etc.)
If you experience these or other dental problems, contact our office as soon as possible. We will schedule an emergency appointment for you and provide you with instructions on what to do until you can make it to our office. We understand that dental emergencies can occur at any time and in a variety of ways, and we will do our best to accommodate your schedule and get you the care you need as quickly as possible.
If you have experienced a head or neck injury call 911 or visit the emergency room first, even if you may also need dental care. If you have a broken jaw or another serious injury please seek treatment from a medical physician before visiting our office.
Below are some tips for caring for an injury until you can meet with a dentist. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Chipped or Fractured Teeth
- Call our office immediately
- If any part of the tooth has broken off, rinse it in lukewarm water and bring it with you to your appointment
- If you are bleeding, apply gauze to the area for 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops
- Use an ice pack or cold compress on the cheek over the area to minimize swelling and pain
- Use a topic pain reliever to manage discomfort
Dislodged or Loosened Teeth
- Call our office immediately to make an emergency appointment
- Use an ice pack or a cold compress over the area to relieve swelling and discomfort
- You may use a mild pain reliever to manage discomfort
Our dentist will examine the dislodged or loosened tooth and reposition and stabilize it again in your mouth. Depending on whether or not the tooth is attached to the blood vessels and nerves, you may need a root canal.
Knocked-Out Teeth
- Contact our office immediately
- Rinse your mouth to remove blood or other debris
- Use a cold compress or ice pack on the cheek over the injury to reduce swelling
- Pick up the tooth by the crown – do not touch the root
- Gently rinse it to clean it – do not use soap or chemical, scrub or dry the tooth or wrap it in a tissue
- If possible, place the tooth back in the socket and gently bite down to hold it in place. If you cannot do this, keep the tooth moist by holding it in the cheek pouch or by placing it in a liquid – milk, saline solution, your own saliva, a tooth preservation kit or water are good options
Lost Filling or Crown
- Contact our office to make an appointment as soon as possible
- If you have your crown, keep it in a cool, safe place
- You may smear the top of the tooth with dental cement or carefully clean and affix the crown to the tooth with dental cement (available at many pharmacies) to minimize discomfort
- Do NOT use any kind of glue to replace the crown on the tooth
You may experience increased tooth sensitivity when you loose your filling or crown.
Toothaches
Simple toothaches can often be relieved by flossing and rinsing the mouth to clear it of debris. If this does not relieve the problem contact our office and schedule an appointment. We will determine the cause of the toothache and provide an appropriate treatment. Do NOT place aspirin on your gums or teeth.
If you have any questions about emergency dental care, please contact our office today.
