Dental emergencies rarely arrive at a convenient hour. What you do in the first few minutes often determines whether a tooth is saved, and whether a bad situation becomes an expensive one. Here’s a practical guide for patients in Shreveport and the surrounding area.
What Counts as a Dental Emergency
Call immediately for:
- A knocked-out permanent tooth
- A tooth that has been pushed out of position or is loose after an injury
- Severe, persistent toothache, especially with swelling
- Facial swelling, or swelling that is spreading toward the eye or neck
- A dental abscess, or a pimple-like bump on the gum with pus
- Bleeding that won’t stop after an injury or extraction
- A broken tooth with pain or a sharp edge cutting your tongue or cheek
Go to an emergency room rather than a dental office if there is difficulty breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, a suspected broken jaw, or a head injury.
What Can Usually Wait a Day or Two
- A lost filling or crown with no significant pain
- A small chip that isn’t sharp or painful
- Mild sensitivity to hot or cold
- Food consistently caught between teeth
- A broken retainer or nightguard
These still need attention — just not at midnight. Call during business hours and we’ll get you scheduled.
First Steps for Common Emergencies
Knocked-out permanent tooth
Time is critical. Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root. If it’s dirty, rinse it gently with milk or saline — don’t scrub it, and don’t use soap. If you can, place it back into the socket and bite gently on clean gauze to hold it. If that isn’t possible, keep it in milk, or in the patient’s own saliva, and get to a dentist immediately. Do not store it in tap water.
A knocked-out baby tooth is handled differently — do not attempt to reinsert it, and call us for guidance.
Broken or chipped tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm water. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the face to limit swelling. Save any fragments. If a sharp edge is cutting your tongue, dental wax or sugarless gum can cover it temporarily. Call us to be seen.
Severe toothache
Rinse with warm salt water and floss gently to remove anything trapped between teeth. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever according to the label if it’s appropriate for you. Never place aspirin directly against the gum — it burns the tissue. Persistent severe pain usually means infection or nerve involvement and needs professional treatment; root canal treatment is often what saves the tooth.
Abscess or swelling
This is a genuine emergency. A dental infection can spread, and spreading facial swelling is serious. Rinse with mild salt water for comfort and call us right away. Don’t attempt to drain it yourself.
Lost crown or filling
Keep the crown if you have it. Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy can protect the tooth briefly. Avoid chewing on that side and call for an appointment.
Soft tissue injuries
For a cut lip, tongue, or cheek, rinse gently with salt water and apply pressure with clean gauze. A cold compress helps with swelling. If bleeding doesn’t stop after about ten minutes of steady pressure, seek care.
What Not to Do
- Don’t wait out severe pain hoping it resolves — pain that stops suddenly can mean the nerve has died, not that the problem is gone
- Don’t put aspirin against the gum
- Don’t use pliers or tools on a tooth
- Don’t scrub the root of a knocked-out tooth
- Don’t ignore facial swelling
- Don’t apply heat to a swollen area — use cold
Preventing the Next One
Most dental emergencies fall into two categories: trauma and neglected problems. You can’t prevent an elbow to the mouth, but you can wear a mouthguard for sports. And the untreated small cavity that becomes an abscess a year later is entirely preventable with regular cleanings and exams.
Other practical habits: don’t chew ice or open packaging with your teeth, address cracked teeth before they break, and take sensitivity that lingers as a signal rather than an annoyance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a knocked-out tooth be saved?
Often, if you act quickly and store it correctly. The chances drop significantly with time out of the socket, so treat it as urgent.
How fast can I be seen?
Call our office and explain what happened. We prioritize genuine emergencies and will advise you on what to do while you’re on the way.
Should I go to the ER for a toothache?
An emergency room can manage pain and infection but usually can’t treat the tooth itself. Go to the ER for breathing difficulty, uncontrolled bleeding, or a suspected fracture — otherwise a dental office is the right destination.
Is a lost filling an emergency?
Usually not, unless there’s significant pain. Protect the tooth and call for an appointment.
Do you see emergency patients who aren’t established with your practice?
Call and let us know your situation. We’ll tell you what we can do.
Call Us When It Happens
Southern Roots Dentistry provides emergency dental care in Shreveport along with our offices in Bossier City, Benton, Mansfield, Minden, and Stonewall. If you’re not sure whether what you’re dealing with counts, call — we’d much rather answer the question than have you wait.
Contact us for an appointment.