Emergency Dentist in Birmingham
Are you experiencing severe tooth pain that’s become worse and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight? Perhaps you had a sudden, traumatic injury that damaged one or more teeth? These situations can be frightening, but relief isn’t far away when you rely on Stuart Curry Dentistry for quality emergency care. Our dentists have the training and experience needed to provide effective treatment for a wide variety of urgent situations, and our team will be sure to accommodate you at the earliest opportunity.
We place high importance on dental emergencies because the pain can be distressing and perhaps unbearable. Our team will take immediate measures to see you as soon as possible if you or your loved one is in pain.
Our reception staff are highly experienced and can walk you through what to do to provide some temporary relief or to prevent further distress until you can make it into our practice. For more information on what to do in the meantime if you are experiencing a dental emergency, please call us immediately, or contact emergency services if you require hospitalization.
Patients in need of an emergency dentist or dental services in Birmingham are always welcome, so please don’t hesitate to contact us.
What is Considered a Dental Emergency?
These are some of the more common symptoms that we see at our practice:
- Gum tissue injury
- Chipped tooth
- Broken tooth
- Knocked out tooth
- Loose tooth
- Abscess
- Severe toothache
- Damaged crown or loss of a dental crown
- Sensitivity to hot or cold – this may be a sign of something within the tooth that needs to be addressed.
Toothaches
If you’re experiencing a bad toothache:
- Clean the area around the affected tooth.
- Rinse your mouth with warm salt water
- Floss around the tooth to help dislodge any particles of food that may be contributing to the pain.
If you’re still in pain, call our office for advice and to make an appointment. We do not advise you to use aspirin or heat on the gum or affected tooth. Sometimes a cold pack on your cheek can help temporarily.
Dr. Curry has over 10 years of experience helping your friends and neighbors with dental emergencies. They’re no fun, and you want to get it taken care of ASAP. Call our office and we’ll get you booked in. We often make room on our schedule for emergencies because we know they happen at the most inopportune times.
Chipped or Broken Tooth
Time is of the essence when it comes to fixing a broken or chipped tooth.
- Call our office immediately to avoid long-term issues.
- Rinse your mouth with warm salty water.
- Use a cold pack to reduce any swelling.
- Locate the broken piece of the tooth if possible and bring it to your appointment.
Knocked Out Permanent Adult Tooth
If you knocked out a tooth because you tripped while running up the stairs to the office, or while playing a game of football, we want to help you save your tooth and get it back in your mouth as soon as possible. If you suffered trauma and lost a tooth, follow these steps:
- Find the dislodged tooth. Make sure you hold it by the top of the tooth, not by the root.
- If the tooth is dirty, rinse the tooth with milk or very briefly with water. Do not clean with soap.
- Inspect the tooth for any cracks.
- If it looks ok, try and insert it back into its socket.
- Keep it in place by biting on a gauze pad or clean cloth.
- If you’re unable to put it back into the socket, the next best option is to keep it in your mouth between your lower teeth and gums. The 2nd option would be to keep it moist by placing it in a cup of milk (do not use water).
Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth. Please call us ASAP.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Have you ever been chewing on a piece of food and accidentally bit your tongue? Maybe your cup of coffee was a tad too hot and it scalded your mouth?
Your teeth are very strong, but not bulletproof. The soft tissues around them are full of nerves and are rather vulnerable. They feel every burn, prick, and bite. Injury to the soft tissues can be caused by such things as:
- Accidental bites
- Chewing on hard objects
- Falls
- Vehicle accidents
- Burns by hot liquids
Should you have damaged the soft tissues around your teeth, give us a call and we’ll help ensure your injuries remain free from infection so they can completely heal.
Lost Filling or Crown
If you had a filling fall out or a crown came off, it’s important to come see us right away.
Crowns and fillings protect delicate parts of your teeth and gums from infection and decay. If you delay replacing these, you could end up with long-term issues such as tooth loss, a bacterial infection in your gums, or plaque eating what’s left of your tooth.
Put the crown in a safe place and give us a call to schedule your emergency appointment. We’ll have a thorough look to see what’s going on, clean up your tooth and reapply the crown. If the filling came out, we’ll clean out the tooth and fill it, assuming there are no underlying issues that need to be dealt with.
If you lose a filling or a crown, it’s okay – it happens. Put it in a safe place and give us a call. We’ll gladly evaluate your mouth to ensure no further injuries or infections have occurred as a result of your injury, and help you replace the filling or crown in a timely manner.
Wisdom Teeth Pain
This is a very common occurrence, especially in young adults. Before we had modern dental care, your molars could decay and fall out. Your wisdom teeth were helpful because they provided a secondary set of molars to replace those that were lost due to decay or disease.
With today’s advanced oral care, we tend to keep all of our teeth, and wisdom teeth aren’t that useful. Also, they can cause teeth to be crowded at the back of your mouth, come out at odd angles or maybe not even fully erupt and remain covered by a flap of gum. This gum flap can trap bacteria and sugars against the surface of the tooth, causing tooth decay and gum disease.
If you notice any of the following symptoms you may need to have your wisdom teeth extracted:
- Swelling, might be to the point of being unable to fully bite down on food.
- Pain around your back teeth
- Difficulty fully opening your mouth
- A bad taste in your mouth
At Stuart Curry Dentistry, we regularly see partially-erupted wisdom teeth, so we have lots of experience treating these cases.
Contact us and we’ll help you get back to a healthy and pain-free mouth.
Dental Emergencies Need Addressing Right Now
We all experience an emergency at some point in our lives, and they never happen on our schedule. We understand that. Having cared for patients from all over Birmingham for many years, we have the experience and technology to get you back on your feet ASAP.
Schedule Your Family's Dentist Appointment Today
Whether we are in your network or not, we will work with your insurance company to get you the best coverage possible. Schedule an appointment with our Birmingham family dental practice today for quality care!
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