Dental emergency right now? Call (208) 202-5946

A public guide published by Pocock Family Dental · Twin Falls, Idaho

Magic Valley Emergency Dental Guide

What to do: the 8 most common dental emergencies

Find what has happened. Each one gives you the steps for the next few minutes — it buys time and, in some cases, saves the tooth.

Call the emergency line (208) 202-5946Pocock Family Dental · Twin Falls

Knocked-out permanent tooth

Hold it by the crown, keep it moist, and call immediately — the chance of saving the tooth drops sharply after the first hour.
  1. Pick the tooth up by the crown — the white part. Never touch the root.
  2. If it is dirty, rinse it for no more than ten seconds in milk or saline. Do not scrub it and do not use tap water.
  3. For a permanent adult tooth only: if you can, place it back in the socket and bite gently on a clean cloth.
  4. If you cannot, keep it in milk and get to a dentist right away. Never let it dry out.
  5. Call the emergency line now and say a permanent tooth has been knocked out.

Cracked, chipped or broken tooth

Save the pieces, rinse with warm water, use a cold compress — and get a painful crack seen quickly, because cracks widen.
  1. Collect any pieces you can find and keep them.
  2. Rinse your mouth gently with warm water.
  3. Hold a cold compress against the cheek to limit swelling.
  4. Call if it hurts when you bite, or if the crack runs below the gumline.

Severe toothache

Rinse with warm salt water and floss either side of the tooth — pain that wakes you at night usually means the nerve is involved and will not settle on its own.
  1. Rinse with warm salt water.
  2. Floss gently either side of the tooth in case food is trapped.
  3. Take over-the-counter pain relief as directed on the packet.
  4. Never hold aspirin against the gum — it burns the tissue.
  5. Call if the pain wakes you, throbs steadily, or is set off by heat.

Swelling or dental abscess

Swelling means infection, and infection spreads — this needs same-day attention, and the emergency room if it affects breathing, swallowing or vision.
  1. Rinse with mild salt water.
  2. Do not apply heat to the outside of the face.
  3. Call the same day — do not wait for a routine opening.
  4. Go to an emergency room instead if swelling is closing an eye, spreading down the neck, or making it hard to swallow or breathe.

Lost filling or crown

Keep the crown, keep the area clean, and cover a sharp edge with temporary dental cement — uncomfortable rather than dangerous, but do not leave it for weeks.
  1. Keep the crown if you still have it and bring it with you.
  2. Clear food away gently and keep the area clean.
  3. Cover a sharp edge with temporary dental cement from a pharmacy, or sugar-free gum.
  4. Call to have it re-cemented before the exposed tooth decays further.

Bleeding gums, lip or tongue

Press clean damp gauze against it for a full fifteen to twenty minutes — if it still will not stop, that is an emergency room visit.
  1. Rinse with mild salt water.
  2. Press a clean damp gauze firmly against the area for 15–20 minutes without lifting to check.
  3. Use a cold compress on the outside of the face.
  4. Go to an emergency room if bleeding continues past twenty minutes of steady pressure.

Something stuck between teeth

Floss carefully, and never use anything metal — a cut gum is a far more common outcome than a dislodged object.
  1. Try dental floss, gently.
  2. Never use a pin, knife tip or any metal implement.
  3. If floss does not shift it, stop and let someone look at it.

Broken braces wire

Push the wire flat with a pencil eraser or cover it with orthodontic wax — do not cut it, because the loose piece can be swallowed or inhaled.
  1. Use the eraser end of a pencil to push the wire flat against the tooth.
  2. Cover the end with orthodontic wax if you have it.
  3. Do not cut the wire.
  4. Call your orthodontist, or us if you are in pain.
Not sure which this is? Call (208) 202-5946Pocock Family Dental · Twin Falls
Who publishes this guide, and why it points to one practice.
This site is written and paid for by Pocock Family Dental, a dental practice in Twin Falls. It is not an independent directory, it does not rank or compare other practices, and it earns nothing from referrals elsewhere. Everything here is general information rather than a diagnosis — if you are unsure about your own situation, call and describe it, or contact your own dentist. Landscape imagery is illustrative of the southern Idaho high desert.