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Dr. Alvin B Williams
web page designed by:
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> EMERGENCIES < |
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Emergency Patients |
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If you are not an existing patient of Dr. Williams and are in need of emergency
care, please call our office immediately at (301)877-1622. We will do everything
we can to accommodate you.
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POSSIBLE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
Broken tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm (room temperature) water to clean the area. Save the
broken piece. It is not likely the piece can be saved, but in some cases (front teeth)
it may be useful. Call the office at (301)877-1622 to schedule a visit. If it is after
hours and you feel you can wait until the office reopens, call and leave a clear message
giving your name, date, and time of call and where you can be reached. Someone from the
office will call you as soon as the office reopens. If the pain is too severe to wait,
call the office and follow the instructions.
Crown comes off
Remove the crown from your mouth. Rinse and gently brush and floss the area
(if it is not too sensitive). Dry the area with clean gauze, cotton and/or
Q-tip. Place Vaseline or toothpaste (using a Q-tip or toothpick) inside the
dried crown and place back on the tooth. Do not eat on that side. Please note,
Vaseline or toothpaste is best if you cannot get to a pharmacy. As soon as your
local pharmacy opens, you will need to purchase a tube of Fixodent and follow the
same directions above, but place a very small amount of Fixodent instead of the
Vaseline or toothpaste inside the crown and reseat the crown in place. Do not eat
on that side. If for some reason you cannot reseat the crown, leave it off and BE
SURE TO BRING IT WITH YOU AT YOUR SCHEDULED VISIT. Call the office
immediately to schedule an appointment.
Temporary crown comes off
Follow the same directions above and call the office to schedule
an immediate appointment.
Cut lip or tongue
Clean the area gently with a cloth and apply ice or cold compresses to reduce
any swelling. Call the office. If the office is closed and
bleeding continues, go to a hospital emergency room immediately.
Toothache
Rinse mouth with luke warm water to clean it. Gently use dental floss
or an inter-dental cleaner to ensure that there is no food or other debris
caught between the teeth.
Never put aspirin, alcohol, or any other painkiller against the gums near
the aching tooth. This could cause a burn to the tissue. Call imediately. If you cannot reach Dr. Williams and you have excessive swelling
(abscess/infection) go to the hospital, you may need to start on a regimen of
antibiotics immediately. DO NOT wait if the swelling is severe, infections in
the face can be very serious!
Objects caught between the teeth
If you have an electric toothbrush or water pick, try to remove the object with
this device. Also, try to gently remove the object with dental floss; avoid
cutting the gums. NEVER use a sharp instrument to remove any object that is
stuck between your teeth. If this is not successful, call the office to schedule a visit.
Tooth knocked out completely
Only hold or touch the tooth by the crown (top part of the tooth that has enamel).
Never touch the root. Rinse the tooth gently with warm water. DO NOT SCRUB the root.
If possible, replace the tooth into the socket and call the office as
soon as possible. If you cannot place the tooth into the socket or are unsure, place
it in a small container of milk or water, and call the office (301)877-1622
immediately. If the area is bleeding, fold a piece of gauze (first aid kits usually
have gauze) place in the area of the socket (where the tooth came out) and bite down.
Place ice compresses over the area to avoid swelling. If you do not have any gauze,
use a moist tea bag (remove the string and staple). If Dr. Williams is not available or
cannot return your call, and the bleeding does not stop or you feel you need sutures,
go to the hospital. Take the tooth with you. The hospital may have an Oral Surgeon on call.
Pain medication
As in any case, always check with your doctor or pharmacist prior to taking any
medication. You can take Advil or Motrin for pain, provided you do not have any
allergies to this medication. This medication is an anti-inflammatory as well as
pain medication. If you DO have an allergy to this medication, take whatever
medication you would for a headache or any other pain. REMEMBER, never place the
medication on the gum or tooth, take as directed.
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