10212 Westport Rd. Louisville, KY 40241

Dealing With A Dental Emergency

Despite the best efforts to keep your teeth protected, dental emergencies can happen and they always tend to occur at the worst time!

If you experience a dental emergency during regular office hours, contact us IMMEDIATELY for instruction on how best to handle the emergency and preserve oral health. In most cases Dr. Westermann will see you the same day in our Louisville KY dentist office.

In the case of an after hours emergency, call our office number and leave a detailed voicemail for the dentist on call who will get back to you quickly. Although medical attention is prudent in many dental emergencies to ensure that oral health is restored, here are a few tips on at home care for common dental emergencies:

  • Tooth pain: a common dental emergency, tooth pain can have a variety of causes. Initially, rinse the mouth with warm, salty water and then brush or floss around the affected tooth to be sure no food particles are lodged between teeth or along the gum line. If pain persists or is deep within the tooth, contact our office for an evaluation. Do not place pain relievers such as aspirin directly on the affected tooth or area. An extenal cold compress can be used to relieve pain as needed until you can be seen.
  • Broken crown or dental appliance: always save the restoration, even a dental crown, and bring it with you to our office. Do not try to reattach a crown or dental appliance with over the counter glues as this may damage it and make it difficult to repair.
  • Knocked out tooth: Contact our office IMMEDIATELY in the case of a knocked out tooth. If possible, retrieve the tooth (hold it only by the crown and not the root) and place it in a container of milk or your own saliva. Bring the tooth with you when you come to our office as we will make every effort to reattach it- the best chance of this being successful is in the first hour post trauma.

Dr. Westermann can restore your dental health after an emergency, offering the cosmetic and restorative dentistry treatments necessary to address a damaged or missing tooth. A good outcome is often the result of quick response to the emergency.

If you have a dental concern of any kind, contact our Louisville KY dentist office to schedule an appointment and avoid the possibility of a future dental emergency! Preventive dental care is the key to a healthy and functional smile.