- By the Clinique Dentaire Granby team
- 3 min read
A dental emergency rarely happens at a good time. Yet what you do in the first few minutes can ease the pain, limit the damage and sometimes save a tooth. Here are the most common situations and what to do while you wait for your appointment.
First, call the clinic
Call us at 450 372-2850, ext. 1 as soon as possible. Tell us what happened: we will tell you what to do in the meantime and when to come in. We keep time in our schedule for emergencies and do our best to see you the same day.
A tooth has been knocked out
This is the most urgent situation. The sooner an adult tooth is put back in place, the better its chances of being saved.
- Pick up the tooth by the crown (the white part), never by the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it for a few seconds under cold water, without scrubbing or drying it.
- If you can, gently put it back in its socket and bite on a gauze pad or a clean cloth to hold it in place.
- If not, put it in a small container of milk, never in water, and come to the clinic right away.
A baby tooth should not be put back in place: this could damage the adult tooth growing underneath. Call us so we can examine your child.
A broken or cracked tooth
- Keep the pieces of the tooth if you can find them, and bring them with you.
- Rinse your mouth with warm water.
- If there is bleeding, press a gauze pad on the area for about 10 minutes.
- Apply a cold compress to your cheek to limit swelling.
- Until your appointment, avoid chewing on that side and avoid very hot or very cold foods.
Severe pain or a dental abscess
A throbbing toothache, pain that wakes you up at night, or pain with swelling or a bump on the gum can be a sign of infection.
- Rinse your mouth with warm salt water.
- Floss gently: food stuck between two teeth can cause pain.
- Apply cold to your cheek for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
- An over-the-counter pain reliever can help: follow the dosage and ask your pharmacist for advice. Never put a tablet directly on your gum.
Even if the pain eases, an infection does not heal on its own. Call us quickly.
A crown or filling comes loose
- Keep the crown in a small clean container and bring it to your appointment.
- Do not glue it back on with household glue.
- Chew on the other side and avoid hard or sticky foods.
- If the tooth is sensitive, a temporary dental cement sold in pharmacies can help for a few days.
When should you go to the hospital instead?
Call 911 or go to the hospital emergency room if you have:
- trouble breathing or swallowing;
- swelling that spreads toward the eye or the neck;
- a fever with swelling in the face;
- heavy bleeding that does not stop with pressure;
- taken a blow to the face and may have a broken jaw.
A dental emergency in Granby?
We see emergencies Monday to Friday. Call 450 372-2850, ext. 1: we do our best to see you the same day. To learn more, visit our Dental emergency page.
This advice is general and does not replace an examination by a dentist.
- Good to know
A knocked-out tooth? Every minute counts: call us right away and bring the tooth.
