Your Raleigh Emergency Dentist

A dental emergency can be a scary situation. Don’t panic! If you have lost a filling, cracked or broken a tooth, or had a tooth knocked out, look no further than Russo Dentistry of Raleigh for all of your emergency dental needs.

Here are some tips for some common dental emergencies:

• Accidental tooth knockout: If a permanent tooth has been knocked out of your mouth, keep it moist at all times. Hold the tooth by the crown, and if needed, gently rinse the tooth. Do not scrub the tooth or remove any tissue that may be attached. If you can, reinsert the tooth into the socket. If the tooth can’t be reinserted, the American Dental Association recommends placing the tooth in a glass with milk, which acts as a preserving agent.

• Cracked tooth: For a cracked tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area. A cold compress should be applied to the face to help minimize swelling.

• Jaw injury: If you have been hit in the jaw and think it might be broken, immediately apply a cold compress to the area to keep the swelling to a minimum. Call Dr. Russo and go to the emergency room for treatment.

• Lip or tongue bite with excessive bleeding:  If you bite your lip, tongue or inside of your cheek, clean the area and apply a cold compress. If the bleeding won’t stop, go to the emergency room.

• Loose tooth:  If a permanent tooth becomes loose, take an over-the-counter pain reliever and apply a cold compress. Do not eat or drink anything that could cause the tooth to fall out until you can see Raleigh dentist Dr. Justin Russo.

• Lost filling or crown: Certain foods but most likely leakage and decay will cause fillings or crowns to become loose or fall out completely. If you have lost a filling or crown, place the filling or crown in a safe place such as a plastic ziplock bag. Please avoid drinking hot or cold liquids to help reduce tooth sensitivity until you can be seen by Dr. Russo. Our friendly staff can provide a recommendation when you call to make an appointment.

• Painful swelling not caused by an injury: If you have swelling of the mouth that is not a result of an injury, you possibly can have an abscess – an inflamed pocket of pus that can quickly become infected. Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater to relieve the pain and pressure of the abscess.

• Sudden toothache:  If you experience a toothache, rinse your mouth with warm water and floss between the aching teeth. This will remove any particles between the teeth that could be causing pain.

If you have any of these dental emergencies, call your Raleigh dentist Dr. Justin Russo immediately and our friendly staff will schedule a same-day appointment for you.

What to Expect

Here is what to expect during your emergency dental visit Dr. Russo:

• We will thoroughly assess the patient’s pertinent medical history
• We will take any X-rays and photographs necessary to properly diagnose the problem
• We will then triage the treatment in order of importance in writing and educate the patient on the pros and cons of treatment
• We will work with any dental financing companies such as lending club or care credit to provide you with a solution that can fit within your budget

Dental emergencies often start with some mild pain and can escalate to a severe pain rapidly if ignored. In cases when patients develop an infection, swelling can occur and can become a major health problem if left untreated.

Raleigh dentist Dr. Justin Russo is here for you! Please call 919-890-5147 to see Dr. Russo the next time you need any emergency dental treatment. If, for any reason, you have a dental emergency and can’t reach our office, call 9-1-1 for immediate assistance.