Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if a filling comes out?
Your filling may feel rough to your tongue or cheek. You can buy dental wax or even temporary fillings material at your local pharmacy. This is just a temporary solution, please contact our office to schedule an appointment. If you are having pain or discomfort take Advil or Tylenol. If pain persists after regular business hours, and you are currently a patient at our office, you can call our after hours phone (614) 562-2391. If you are not having any immediate pain or discomfort, please contact our office during regular business hours to schedule an appointment (614) 875-2153.
What do I do if I break a tooth?
Your tooth may feel rough to your tongue or cheek. You can buy dental wax or even temporary filling material at your local pharmacy. This is just a temporary solution, please contact our office to schedule an appointment. If you are having pain or discomfort take Advil or Tylenol. If pain persists after regular business hours, you can call our after hours phone. If you are not having any immediate pain or discomfort, please contact our office during regular business hours to schedule an appointment.
What do I do if I have a toothache?
Occasionally, discomfort can be caused by food getting stuck between your teeth. First rinse your mouth with warm water to make sure it is clean. Gently use dental floss to ensure that there is no food or other debris caught between the teeth. Never put aspirin or any other pain reliever against the gums near the aching tooth because it may burn the gum tissue. Take Advil or Tylenol to help with any discomfort. If pain is more than mild and you have swelling after regular business hours, you can call our after hours phone. If you are not having any immediate pain or discomfort, please contact our office during regular business hours to schedule an appointment.
What if I am having pain from wisdom teeth?
If you are experiencing swelling or pain for your wisdom teeth, you may feel better if you take an anti-inflammatory such as Advil or Tylenol. If you are experiencing pain, swelling or infection in the gum area surrounding your wisdom teeth you can try warm saltwater rinses. If you are uncertain that your pain is a result of your wisdom teeth, it is very important that you make an appointment in our office to have the area evaluated. If pain and discomfort persist after regular business hours, please call our after hours phone.
What do I do for swelling?
Swelling is your body's reaction to insult or injury. If the swelling is from an accident or trauma place cold compresses against the area and take Advil or Tylenol. If the swelling is occurring inside your mouth, it can be from an abscessed tooth or gum (periodontal) abscess. You can clean area and use salt water rinse to soothe the area. In either situation, please contact our office immediately.
If after regular business hours, please contact our after hours phone. Even if the swelling goes away, seek treatment. Swelling is always a sign of serious problems developing.
What if I am experiencing sensitivity?
It is normal for a tooth to be sensitive after a filling is placed. Common
post filling discomfort includes: sensitivity to cold or hot, sometimes even
room temperature beverages, chewing or pressure, soreness at the gumline or
injection site, muscle soreness or jaw pain from holding mouth open. You may
feel better if you take a mild pain reliever such as Advil or Tylenol.
It is very important that your "bite" be normal after your filling is placed. If the filling is "high" it changes your bite and causes you to put more pressure on the filled tooth, resulting in minor to severe pain. The constant pressure on the "high" filling inflames the ligaments surrounding the root of the tooth, which will not get better until adjustments are made to the filling. Once your bite is corrected, the discomfort should gradually fade within a few days.
Very deep cavities may involve the nerve of the tooth. Should this occur, you would probably be experiencing very severe pain that isn't alleviated with over the counter pain relievers. Often this pain is triggered by heat and will continue aching, sometimes waking you up a night. If this happens, the tooth usually needs endodontic treatment (root canal) to save the tooth. Please contact our office to schedule a appointment to evaluate. If pain persists after regular business hours, please contact our after hours phone (614) 562-2391.
What if I knock my tooth out?
Recover the tooth immediately. To minimize injury to root, carefully pick it up by the crown (chewing surface). If dirty, rinse it gently under water. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. Do not use soap or chemicals. If possible gently insert and hold the tooth in its socket. If that isn't possible, put the tooth in a cup of milk. It is very important that you get to a dentist quickly, within 30 mins, if possible. If you do this it may be possible to save the tooth. If during regular business hours, please contact our office. If after regular business hours, please call after hours phone or seek emergency room assistance.
What do I do for sensitivity from whitening?
Some patients may experience discomfort with their teeth and gums during the
whitening process. The main symptom is ususally cold sensitivity. Advil or
Tylenol can help with any discomfort. Continue to use the sensitivity toothpaste
provided to you. You can also tailor the amount of time you wear your trays.
For instance, instead of whitening every day, switch to every other day so
that your teeth have a break. This doesn't affect the results of the whitening,
it just makes the process take longer. If you experience more than a mild
cold discomfort or aching of the teeth for a day, please contact our office.
Sometimes gum irritation can occur. It is important that you do not overfill
your trays with the whitening solution. Also, be sure to wipe away excess
from the gumline with toothbrush or finger. If you have followed instructions
and still are having gum tissue irritation, discontinue use and call our office.
What do I do if I am having sensitivity from Zoom?
It is common to have sensitivity 24-48hrs after Zoom. The tips of the teeth may be sensitive and often, patients describe the feeling as a "zinger". Continue to stay on Advil every 4-6 hrs as needed and use the satin finish in your custom trays to help decrease sensitivity. Continue to use Floridex toothpaste. Zingers are common and will begin to fade after 24hrs.
If you are having any pain or discomfort after the 24-48hr period, please call our office to schedule an appointment. If it is after regular business hours, please contact our after hours phone.
What do I do if my temporary crown is loose, lost or broken?
Your temporary crown is loose:
If your temporary crown is loose and you are not experiencing any discomfort, there is no emergency. Just contact our office during regular business hours to schedule an appointment so we can recement.
Your temporary crown came off:
If your temporary crown has come off please contact our office to schedule an appointment so we can recement. If after hours and you can temporarily recement it by placing a dab of vaseline, toothpaste or denture adhesive inside the crown and placing it back on your tooth with finger pressure. It is okay to go a couple of days with your temporary crown missing, but any longer and your teeth may shift, potentially causing complications when it comes time to seat your permanent crown. If you are having pain or discomfort with the crown being off please contact our after hours phone.
Your temporary crown is broken or lost:
If your temporary crown has broken or been lost, please contact our office.
If you are unable to get in right away, you may want to avoid extremely hot/cold
beverages or foods, as well as chewing on that side of your mouth. These may
cause some discomfort since the tooth is exposed. Try to keep area clean so
that food doesn't get lodged in the gums and take a pain reliever such as
Advil or Tylenol. If you are having extreme pain please contact our after
hours phone.
If you did not find the answer to your question here, contact our office at (614) 875-2153 and we will be happy to
provide you with an answer. You can also submit a question to one of our doctors by clicking here
