Emergency Dentistry St. Augustine

Let Us Help You Out of Pain

Woman in striped shirt rubbing jaw in pain

Whether it is a piece of food that causes your crown to pop off or a tooth that is knocked out as a result of a friendly game of tackle football, dental emergencies can range in severity. However, just because you believe one may not be as serious as another doesn’t mean you should avoid professional help. At Total Dental Care: Tony Lee, DMD, we want you to call our office right away, no matter the type of dental injury. Offering same-day emergency dentistry appointments in St. Augustine, we’ll work quickly to get you in and be seen by Dr. Lee so that you can return home with a pain- and damage-free smile.

Why Choose Total Dental Care: Tony Lee, DMD for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day Dental Emergency Appointments
  • We’ll Help Maximize Your Dental Benefits
  • Sedation Dentistry Offered to Patients in Need

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Man sitting on couch with tooth pain

To ensure you receive the most efficient and effective treatment, the following steps should be taken when a dental emergency occurs:

  • Call and schedule an appointment – Our team members will schedule a same-day appointment should your situation require immediate care. After explaining the reason for your emergency visit, we will offer first-aid tips that you can use while you wait to see Dr. Lee.
  • Undergo a thorough examination – When arriving at our office, we will escort you to a treatment room and take diagnostic images of your mouth. This will help Dr. Lee to more thoroughly examine the problem area while also performing a visual examination.
  • Compile our findings – Lee will compile all of his findings to produce a complete treatment plan that includes the recommended services. He will go over it with you to determine if you would like to proceed.
  • Helping you out of pain – Once you agree to the proposed plan, we will get to work relieving you of any pain while addressing the damaged portion of your smile.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

There are many different types of dental emergencies, each with its own challenges. While some are less problematic than others (i.e., soft tissue laceration), others need immediate treatment to avoid tooth loss (i.e., knocked-out tooth). To know how you should proceed when faced with a dental injury, review our list of the most common dental emergencies below.

More to Explore

I Need a Checkup & Cleaning I am Worried About Bleeding Gums I Have a Cavity or Broken Tooth I am Missing One or More Teeth I Want to Enhance My Smile I Want a Straighter Smile I am Scared of the Dentist I Have Jaw Pain I'm Having Trouble Sleeping View Our Services

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? If you are struggling with a painful toothache and wondering whether or not you need to schedule an emergency appointment, it’s better to be safe than sorry. In other words, don’t hesitate to give our St. Augustine dental team a call, even if your symptoms seem relatively minor.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Until your appointment with Dr. Lee, there are a few steps we recommend taking, including rinsing periodically with warm saltwater, taking OTC pain medication as directed, and not chewing on that side of your mouth.

How We Treat Toothaches How we treat your toothache will depend largely on two things: the root of the problem and the extent of the damage. For example, while a small cavity can often be treated with a dental filling, a large crack in your enamel will likely warrant a dental crown.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAME-DAY DENTAL CROWNS

Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Not always. For example, if the chip is very minor, scheduling an appointment the same day usually isn’t necessary. Of course, if the damage is severe or you’re in pain, then that’s a different story.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth There are a few steps we recommend taking, starting with using clean, room-temperature water to gently rinse your mouth. Then, cover the sharp edge of your tooth with dental wax or sugar-free gum.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Cosmetic bonding is a great option for chipped teeth! Not only can it restore the missing structure seamlessly, but it can usually be done in a single visit. So, you’ll walk out of our office with a healthy, happy smile.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, absolutely! So, don’t wait – if you reside in or around St. Augustine, give us a call. From there, one of our friendly and helpful team members will schedule an emergency appointment for you and walk you through what to do (and what not to do) until then.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth First, do not chew on that side of your mouth. Second, rinse periodically with clean, room-temperature water to prevent debris from collecting on your tooth. Third, take OTC pain medication (if needed) to alleviate pain, discomfort, and sensitivity in the short term.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Fortunately, we offer a wide range of restorative treatments at our office, including same-day dental crowns. We also can carefully extract the tooth and replace it with a dental implant if it has been damaged to the point where it can no longer be saved.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAME-DAY DENTAL CROWNS

LEARN MORE ABOUT TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Usually, dental sensitivity doesn’t require emergency dental care. That said, there are a few exceptions. For example, if the sensation is getting worse with each passing day, you should call us ASAP so we can determine if an untreated oral health issue is the root of the problem.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth There are a few recommendations we have for our patients, starting with not eating anything acidic and extending to steering clear of hot drinks. If needed, you can take OTC pain medication to alleviate any discomfort you’re experiencing as well.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth First, we need to determine what the root of the problem is. If it’s a crack in your enamel, then the answer may be a dental crown. If it’s an infection, then root canal treatment is warranted.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAME-DAY DENTAL CROWNS

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes! It’s important that you call us ASAP because there is only about a 60-minute window of time where saving your tooth is a possibility. Plus, we want to give you helpful instructions over the phone on how to preserve the root surface cells in the meantime.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth If you are able to find your tooth, you have two options. The first is placing it back in its socket. If the tooth doesn’t slide back into position easily, then go with option number two: submerging it in a clean container filled with milk.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth When you arrive at our office, Dr. Lee will quickly get to work to save your tooth. If that’s not possible because the tooth was lost or badly damaged, don’t worry – we can have a custom dental bridge or implant made to ensure there isn’t a noticeable gap in your smile moving forward.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Since your tooth is susceptible to harm without the restoration securely in place, we strongly recommend getting to our St. Augustine dental office the same day, if you can. If you can’t, don’t worry – we can still provide you with helpful instructions on how to handle your dental injury until your visit.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown There are a few steps we recommend taking in addition to calling us to schedule an emergency appointment, like placing your restoration in a small, clean container for safekeeping and not chewing on that side of your mouth.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns If your dental crown is in good condition, the solution may be as simple as re-cementing it back in place. If it is old, it’s damaged, or you weren’t able to find it, then we will have a new one made.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAME-DAY DENTAL CROWNS

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency?

Wearing damaged dentures can easily injure your gums, soft tissues, jaws and any of your remaining natural teeth. Whether you’ve broken the base or the artificial teeth of your denture, it’s important to call us right away.

How to handle a broken denture:

Never wear a broken denture, as this can easily injure you by scratching your gums, cheeks, or tongue, and cause the damage to your prosthetic to get significantly worse. If you damage your denture, take it out of your mouth and don’t wear it again until Dr. Lee has given you the okay to do so. Furthermore, never attempt to repair your dentures yourself using superglue or other household items, as these are not biocompatible and can make you very ill.

How we treat broken dentures:

How we treat your broken dentures will depend on the severity of the damage. In some cases, we may be able to use composite resin to repair a minor chip or crack. In other cases, your denture may need to be readjusted to fit properly. However, if the damage is too severe, we may need to fit you for a brand-new denture if yours cannot be fixed. This may also be an excellent time to consider upgrading to implant dentures.

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a loose permanent tooth a dental emergency?

Sometimes called extruded or partially dislodged, permanent teeth may become loose gradually over time, or as the result of an injury. If they are loose, they are in danger of falling out, even if they don’t hurt.

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth:

If you have a loose permanent tooth, call Dr. Lee right away. Do not play with or wiggle the tooth with your fingers or tongue and avoid brushing or flossing around the tooth until you have been given the green light by Dr. Lee.

How we treat loose permanent teeth:

It is sometimes possible to save a loose permanent tooth; however, this may not always be the case. In some situations, Dr. Lee may be able to splint the tooth into place, but there is no guarantee this will work. In those cases, the tooth will need to be extracted, and Dr. Lee will be happy to discuss your tooth replacement options such as dental implants with you once your mouth has healed.

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Learn More About Dental Implants

Learn More About Gum Disease Therapy 

Learn More About Mouthguards

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency?

Cuts in your mouth can bleed a lot and can be very alarming, but Dr. Lee may be able to help with this type of dental emergency, which can be very common in sports.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue:

If you experience this type of injury, gently clean the area with water to wash away any debris and bacteria. Then, apply pressure with a clean washcloth or a piece of gauze until the bleeding stops. You can also apply an icepack or cold compress over the area to numb the pain and reduce swelling.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue:

If necessary, Dr. Lee can stitch the wound closed and help keep it clean. However, if the bleeding has not stopped within about 10 minutes, please go to your local emergency room as soon as possible.

Learn More About Sports Mouthguards

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency?

Yes, jaw pain is a dental emergency. It can easily interfere with your daily life and can even lead to serious oral health problems down the road if not treated.

How you should handle jaw pain:

Please call our office at your earliest opportunity. We will give you specific instructions over the phone. Generally, you can take over-the-counter pain reliever and apply ice to ease any swelling or discomfort. However, if your jaw is broken or dislocated, please go straight to your local emergency room first, and Dr. Lee will be happy to fix up your smile once you are feeling better.

How we treat jaw pain:

Bruxism treatments with the help of a custom mouthguard can help correct the source of your jaw pain. Dr. Lee is proud to provide TMJ therapy to help you avoid serious issues later in life and prevent discomfort and stiffness today.

If the pain is caused by wisdom tooth impaction, we can work with you to have those teeth removed.

If you need to visit the emergency room first, we’ll be happy to help repair or restore damaged or lost teeth once you’ve been discharged.

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Learn More About TMJ Therapy

Learn More About Tooth Extraction

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

If something has become stuck between your teeth, never use tweezers, toothpicks, or any other sharp instrument to dislodge it. This could cause you to suddenly injure your soft tissue. Instead, try flossing and rinsing your mouth with water. If that doesn't work, please call Dr. Lee for further instructions.