I am very thankful that I have been fortunate enough to find this Dentist Office. The entire staff are very pleasant and genuinely care about a good outcome regardless of your situation. You could not ask for better. Dr. Parker is great…😀 …
Knocking out a tooth can be a pretty scary situation to be in, but if you know how to handle it, you’ll be able to stay calmer and have better a better chance at saving your tooth. To get some professional tips that will help you be prepared for a knocked out tooth and other dental emergencies, call Dr. Charles F. Betts, Jr. Family Dentistry at 256-274-8680 to book a visit.
When you have a dental emergency and call our Decatur, AL dentist office, we will do our very best to get you a same-day appointment and relieve your pain as quickly as possible. If you are one of our current patients, we may be able to get you in for a visit after hours as well. If you call our office when we are closed, you’ll be given Dr. Betts’ cell phone number.
Dr. Betts has been working as a dentist for over two and a half decades. He’s helped a lot of patients improve their oral health and the beauty of their smiles in that time. He has also treated countless emergency situations, so you can rest assured he’ll be able to handle your case.
To make things a little more flexible in terms of getting you in for a same-day emergency dentistry appointment, we offer some flexible appointments that many dental offices don’t. For example, we stay late until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and also open early at 7:00 a.m. on Thursdays.
We take a variety of payment options for your convenience. Don’t hold off on visiting our dentist when you have an emergency because of financial concerns. We accept third-party financing from CareCredit and Lending Club and also allow patients to set up their own payment plans through our EasyPay system.
Be Prepared For Knocked Out Teeth & Other Dental Emergencies
People of all types knock out teeth for a large variety of reasons. Maybe you had to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and tripped over the family dog. Or perhaps you were participating in a contact sport without using an athletic mouthguard. No matter the way you knocked out your tooth, we will do everything we can to help you save it.
The first thing you should do when you knock out a tooth is try not to panic. We know this can be easier said than done, but if you keep a cool head, you’ll be able to better remember what you need to do and address the situation accordingly.
If you are bleeding, use a piece of gauze to apply some gentle pressure to slow and stop it. If you are unable to stop the bleeding, visit your local emergency room as soon as possible and then follow up with us.
To help clean out your mouth some, rinse it gently with saline. If you do not have bottled saline, you can make some quickly using warm water and salt.
Next, you should pick up the tooth by the crown (the chewing surface of the tooth that is normally visible above the gumline). Do NOT pick the tooth up by the roots.
If you can, try to put the tooth back into the socket. If the tooth is dirty, rinse it gently with some water before placing the tooth back in your mouth.
If you are unable to place the tooth back in place, keep it moist and safe by placing it in a small container filled with saliva or milk.
To help numb the pain and reduce inflammation and swelling, you can apply an ice pack to the affected area. You can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever and apply some benzocaine to the area to help with any discomfort you may be experiencing.
And finally, you should visit us or another dentist as soon as possible. For the best shot at putting your tooth back in its place, you should see us within thirty minutes if possible.
When you arrive at our Decatur, AL dentist office, we will do all we can to make you comfortable. We even have some amenities to help relieve your dental anxiety.
If we are unable to save your tooth, we can discuss your tooth replacement options with you, including:
For an emergency appointment at Dr. Charles F. Betts, Jr. Family Dentistry, call 256-274-8680. You can also come straight to our office during our normal business hours or fill out our online form to make non-emergency appointments.