Emergency Instructions | Hanover, PA

In the event of an emergency, please call our office.  If you call after office hours, you will hear directions on how to reach the dentist on call.

If you are experiencing a serious or life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

Avulsion/Tooth knocked out of its socket:

If a tooth is avulsed, make sure it is a permanent tooth (baby teeth should not be replanted).

• Keep the patient calm.
• Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (the white part). Avoid touching the root.
• If the tooth is dirty, wash it briefly (10 seconds) under cold running water and reposition it. Try to encourage the patient/parent to replant the tooth. Bite on a handkerchief to hold it in position. Do this within 30 minutes of the avulsion!
• If this is not possible, place the tooth in a suitable storage medium, e.g. a glass of milk or a special storage medium for avulsed teeth if available (e.g. Hanks balanced storage medium or saline). The tooth can also be transported in the mouth, keeping it between the molars and the inside of the cheek. If the patient is very young, he/she could swallow the tooth- therefore it is advisable to get the patient to spit in a container and place the tooth in it. AVOID STORAGE IN WATER!
• During office hours: call (717) 633-5874 immediately on your way to our office
• After-hours please head right over to the York Hospital Emergency Room where a dental resident will be paged and the tooth replanted and splinted. Call our office the next day to schedule a follow-up appointment.
  

Baby Tooth Trauma – Intrusion:

Displacement of the tooth into the socket

• Please call our office to schedule an appointment. (717) 633-5874. The tooth may be left to come down on its own or we might have to remove it. Once we take a radiograph we can determine which course of action is needed.
• Soft food for 10-14 days
• Possible complications that may occur, like swelling, a dark discoloration of the tooth, loose tooth, or swelling at the gum with pus. Children may not complain about pain; however, the infection may be present and parents should watch for signs of swelling of the gums and call us for an appointment (717) 633-5874.

Baby Tooth Trauma: Avulsion / Tooth completely out of the socket:

• It’s not recommended to replant avulsed primary teeth.
• Soft food for 1 week.
• Good healing following an injury to the teeth and oral tissues depends, in part, on good oral hygiene.
• There could be possible complications in the development of the permanent successor, especially following avulsion injuries sustained in children under 3 years of age.
• Please call our office to schedule an appointment at (717) 633-5874

Baby Tooth Trauma: Lateral luxation / Tooth is pushed inward or outward:

• Please call our office to schedule an appointment. (717) 633-5874. The tooth may need repositioning, left to come down on its own or we might have to remove it. Once we take a radiograph we can determine which course of action is needed.
• Soft food for 10-14 days
• Possible complications that may occur, like swelling, a dark discoloration of the tooth, loose tooth, or swelling at the gum with pus. Children may not complain about pain; however, the infection may be present and parents should watch for signs of swelling of the gums and call us for an appointment (717) 633-5874.

Baby Tooth Trauma: Extrusion / Tooth partially out of the gums:

For minor extrusion (< 3mm) either carefully reposition the tooth or leave the tooth for it to go back in its spot by itself.

If the tooth is out more than 3mm tooth removal is the treatment of choice for severe extrusion.

Please call our office to schedule an appointment at (717) 633-5874

Soft food for 1 week.

If the tooth has been pushed back possible complications may occur, like swelling, dark discoloration of the tooth, loose tooth, or swelling at the gum with pus. Children may not complain about pain; however, the infection may be present and parents should watch for signs of swelling of the gums and call us for an appointment (717) 633-5874.

Bleeding Gums/Subluxation injury:

This is an injury to the tooth-supporting structures that makes the tooth loose, but the tooth has not moved out of its socket. Bleeding gums can be seen.

A flexible splint to stabilize the tooth for the patient’s comfort can be used for up to 2 weeks.

Please call (717) 633-5874 to schedule an appointment.

Chipped tooth:

• If a tooth fragment is available, it can be bonded to the tooth.
• We can smooth the tooth or place a restoration with a composite resin that matches the tooth color depending on the extent and location of the fracture.
• Call our office at (717) 633-5874 to schedule an appointment.
  

Swelling:

Swelling may be due to several reasons such as infection, abscess, or trauma.

Please contact our office at (717) 633-5874 to schedule an appointment so we can properly diagnose the cause of the swelling and provide the most effective treatment for you.

In the meantime, you can place ice cubes in a ziplock bag and wrap a towel around it. Put the cold compress on for 20 mins and off for 20 mins on the affected area and repeat as necessary to alleviate the symptoms.

Fractured Tooth:

If a tooth fragment is available, it can be bonded to the tooth.

Otherwise, we can bond to the tooth with a tooth-colored filling on a temporary basis. The tooth may or may not need a root canal treatment in the very near future or right away.

The definitive treatment for the fractured tooth is a crown which can be done the same day schedule permitting.

Call our office at (717) 633-5874 to schedule an appointment.

Toothache:

Your toothache may be caused by:

• Tooth decay
• An abscessed tooth
• Tooth or root fracture
• A damaged filling
• Repetitive motions, such as chewing gum or grinding teeth
• Infected gums
• A recent filling or tooth extraction

The pain could be sharp, throbbing, or constant. In some people, pain results only when pressure is applied to the tooth. You may notice:

• Swelling around the tooth
• Fever or headache
• Foul-tasting drainage from the infected tooth

The best course of action is to call our office at (717) 633-5874 to schedule a visit so we can evaluate the source of the pain and provide you with the best treatment option to get you comfortable.

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