This page is meant to be a helpful guide to some common dental problems that may arise while the office is not open. However, if you are experiencing pain, swelling or bleeding, please see remedies below and contact Dr. Oldroyd if needed to determine if an after hours visit is necessary.

Please be advised that there is a $90 after hours emergency visit fee should you need to be seen before the office reopens for normal business hours.

Q. What if my temporary or permanent crown comes off?
A. It is important that your crown be put back on the tooth in order to hold the space for the permanent crown. Teeth can shift quickly and if the temporary crown is left off too long, the permanent crown may not fit right. After a few practices tries to make sure the crown is oriented correctly, dry the inside of the crown and your tooth, place some poligrip or dentemp (found at drug and grocery stores) inside the crown and place it on the tooth. Use something soft placed directly over the tooth to bite into to make sure the crown is all the way on the tooth. If it feels high when you bite, you may need to try again until your bite feels normal.

Q. What if I have a filling fall out or a chipped or broken tooth?
A. Temporary dental filling material is commonly found in the medicine sections of drug and grocery stores. It is easily placed in the cavity area and will help protect the tooth from sensitivity and can smooth sharp edges until the tooth can be treated.

Q. What if I or my child has fallen or been hit in the mouth?
A. If it is a permanent tooth and the tooth is completely out and intact, you can rinse your mouth with milk and place the tooth in milk, then put the tooth back in the socket. This needs to happen as soon as possible. As minutes go by, the chance of successful reimplantation of the tooth decreases dramatically. Call Dr. Oldroyd right away to splint the teeth together so that the displaced tooth has the best chance to heal. If it is a baby tooth, it is advised to leave the tooth out as replacing it in the socket can damage the developing permanent tooth. If the tooth is out of place, loose or broken with nerve exposure, call Dr. Oldroyd immediately to get an x-ray and splint the tooth to other teeth to immobilize it and/or start root canal therapy.

Q. What if I have a painful tooth?
A. Anbesol or Orajel are good pain relievers in the mouth. The best over the counter pain reliever for toothaches is Advil 600-800 mg every 6 hours. You can also add up to 1000 mg of Tylenol every 6 hours. If pain persists and you cannot wait until the office opens, contact Dr. Oldroyd.

Q. What if I have facial or gum swelling?
A. Call Dr. Oldroyd right away to start an antibiotic and determine if you need to be seen before normal office hours.

Q. What if I have heavy bleeding that I cannot stop?
A. Call Dr. Oldroyd right away or go to the emergency room to get the bleeding under control. If you rinse your mouth well and immediately look in the mirror, you will hopefully be able to find the source of the bleeding. Any type of gauze, paper towel, etc. can be applied to the wound with pressure and will usually stop the bleeding.

Q. What if I have a complication with a procedure that was performed by a specialist?
A. Please contact that specialist as Dr. Oldroyd will not know all the details from the time of the procedure and possible complications that may or may not have been expected.