Cavities usually don’t hurt until they have become very serious. At the stage where they are causing you pain, you may be at risk of losing the tooth. If you find yourself in this situation, call our office immediately.

You can take Tylenol or aspirin for the pain, but do not place it on the tooth itself. Avoid exposing the tooth to extreme temperatures or doing anything that might otherwise aggravate your tooth.

Seeing Dr. Williams quickly for treatment can help save the tooth and prevent the adjacent areas of your mouth from being damaged by the infection.

If an accident has caused one of your teeth to be knocked out, be certain to only handle it by the top (the crown) and not the root. If the tooth is dirty, it can be rinsed with water, but do not scrub, use chemicals or wrap the tooth in a cloth or tissue. Instead, reinsert it into the socket if possible, or place it in milk or saline and bring it with you to our office.

A tooth that has been knocked out can usually be saved if it can be treated within 30 minutes of the accident.

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus caused by a bacterial infection. These can form at different parts of the tooth, such as the root or gums. Often these are caused by cavities that have gone untreated for too long.

Abscesses can cause a throbbing toothache, sensitivity to hot and cold, fever, swelling of the face, and difficulties swallowing or breathing.

Call our office as soon as you can if you suspect you have an abscessed tooth. An over-the-counter pain reliever like Tylenol or aspirin can be taken in the meantime to help with the pain.

Not every chipped tooth is an emergency, and if there is no pain, you may not need to rush to see Dr. Williams.

If you have a fracture that is painful, however, it’s best to call us as soon as you can.

If you have a filling that has fallen out, replacing it quickly is imperative to prevent the interior of the tooth from becoming infected.

Call us immediately if you lose a filling.