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| Emergency Tooth Care Guide |
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| The dental office of Dr. Login, phone: 617-277-0807 |
| Symptom #1: Momentary hot or cold sensitivity to foods or drinks. Possible Problem: May not be a problem. You may have experienced some minimal gum recession exposing sensitive portions of your teeth. Or you may be clenching your teeth while you sleep and the following day the teeth are more sensitive. There could also be a hormonal component to the sensitivity. What to do: Try using toothpaste made for sensitive teeth such as Sensodyne. Brush and floss carefully and completely. If this doesn't help, call us to check with an x-ray and other pulp testing procedures. Symptom #2: Sensitivity to hot or cold foods after dental treatment. Possible Problem: Dental work may cause temporary nerve sensitivity. What to do: Wait 2-3 days maximum! If the pain persists or worsens, call us to evaluate and prevent further any nerve (pulp) damage Symptom #3: Lingering (20-60 minutes) pain after eating hot or cold foods. Possible Problem: This usually means the pulp has been damaged somehow. What to do: Root canal treatment will likely have to be performed. Spontaneous pain - especially if it wakes you up at night - can become an obvious symptom of nerve damage. Call our office number at 617-277-0807 or page Dr. Login at 617-560-5291. Symptom #4: Sharp pain when biting down. Possible Problem: Biting pain alone may indicate a cracked tooth. A crown is usually needed and often the nerve has been affected. If this biting pain is accompanied by sensitivity to hot foods or drinks, an emergency root canal problem has developed. What to do: This is an early warning of an impending dental emergency. Call us at 617-277-0807 or page Dr. Login at 617-560-5291 for an immediate evaluation and/or root canal treatment. Take an over-the-counter analgesic such as Ibuprofen to control the pain. Airplane flights or dramatic altitude changes can worsen your symptoms Symptom #5: Constant and severe pain with pressure, swelling of gums, and sensitivity to touch. Possible Problem: The pulp in your tooth has an infection and is completely abscessed, causing the teeth and the surrounding bone to become infected. What to do: This is a dental emergency. Call us immediately at 617-277-0807 or page Dr. Login after hours at 617-560-5291. To help you maintain the tooth, root canal treatment and a crown are necessary. Even strong pain medication does not help at this stage. Symptom #6: Any pain, gum boil, or swelling that happens in a tooth that has previously had an old root canal. Possible Problem: Tooth may be re-abscessing due to an undiscovered root canal or inadequate seal of the canals or a fracture of the tooth. What to do: See us for preventative antibiotics so the problem doesn't worsen. Most likely the old root canal will have to be re-done. Or surgical correction may be necessary. If the root is fractured then tooth will be lost. |