If you are experiencing a DENTAL EMERGENCY during office hours, then please call our office at (803) 532-3331. If you reach our voice mail system, then please leave your phone number and a detailed message describing your symptoms and the best time to call you back. If it is after hours and you're experiencing a true emergency, then please go to the emergency room.

If you're calling after office hours, then please review the list below for the type of dental emergency you are experiencing and follow the instructions:

• Knocked Out Tooth

  No one wants to lose a tooth. When a tooth is knocked out, the best place to keep it is in the MOUTH BETWEEN THE CHEEK AND THE GUM. Placing the tooth in the mouth increases the tooth's survival.

  If this is not possible (as in the case of a child):
  
  • Do not handle the ROOT.
  • Pick up the tooth by the CROWN (the top).
  • Place the tooth in a clean container with milk.
  • Bring the tooth and patient to our office as soon as possible.
  
  There is a strong chance that the tooth can be saved and placed back into the mouth.

• Fractured (broken) Tooth or Cracked Tooth

  Even a perfect tooth can experience trauma. Usually small chips are not serious although you will need to contact us for a visit. Buffing or a small bonding will take care of the problem.

  Larger fractures can expose the inside pulp of the tooth. For a seriously-fractured tooth, you may be referred to a specialist to evaluate and treat a major fracture. In severe cases, when the tooth cannot saved, it will need to be removed. Please contact our office as soon as possible so we can assess your problem and recommend the best treatment for your emergency.

• Possible Broken Jaw

  It takes a forceful blow to break a jaw. For any indication of a broken jaw, we insist that you seek EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT immediately.

  DIAL 9-1-1.

• Bitten Lip or Tongue

  An occasional biting of the lip or tongue is common and there should be no need for alarm. Bleeding should stop within 15-20 minutes. A cold wet wash cloth can be pressed against the lip or tongue and held there to slow down the bleeding. Soreness from the injured area will usually resolve in a day or two.

  Should the wound be more serious or bleeding heavy, it will be necessary to make a trip to the EMERGENCY ROOM IMMEDIATELY to assess and treat a larger wound of the lip or the tongue. Stitches are usually indicated for these types of problems. Please be sure to contact us for a follow-up visit.

• Objects Caught Between Teeth

  Sometimes something gets stuck between the teeth that just won't come out.

  Your first choice should be a 12" strand of floss. Wrap the floss securely around your two index fingers, place the floss between the teeth until it snaps downward thru the contact point of the two teeth. Then in a lifting motion try to dislodge the object.

  Should this not work, take a new piece of floss, tie a knot in one end. With two fingers, floss between the contact point. Take the plain end and pull it thru the contact until the knotted end comes in contact with the object. Pull the knotted end thru. This should catch the object and pop it out from between the teeth.

  If this does not work after several attempts, please give us a call to be seen at our first available appointment.

• Toothache

  A toothache is something we don't want you to experience.

  Toothaches can come from a problem with the gum surrounding the tooth, the nerve inside the tooth, trauma, a fracture, or any combination of events. Call us for an emergency visit. Depending upon your symptoms, we may direct you to a specialist for care. Our goal is to alleviate your pain – either by us or the specialist.

  If you reach our voice mail system when you call, then please leave your PHONE NUMBER and a DETAILED MESSAGE.