The short answer
Stay calm, stop any bleeding with gentle pressure from clean gauze, save any tooth or broken pieces in milk, and give us a call. A knocked-out adult tooth is the most time-sensitive dental emergency: try to see a dentist within 30 minutes. If you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading into your neck, or bleeding that won’t stop, go to the ER.
Holidays bring hard candy, nut bowls, family travel, and sledding trips, and dental emergencies tend to happen when offices have shorter hours. Here’s how to handle the most common problems, and how to reach us over the holiday season.
Our Holiday Schedule
| Date | Office status |
|---|---|
| Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving) | Closed |
| Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) | Closed |
| Friday, December 25 (Christmas Day) | Closed |
| Thursday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve) | Closed |
| Friday, January 1 (New Year’s Day) | Closed |
| All other weeks | Monday to Thursday, 8am to 5pm |
First aid for common holiday dental emergencies
Knocked-out adult tooth
- Pick the tooth up by the crown (the white part you chew with). Don’t touch the root.
- If it’s dirty, rinse it for a few seconds with milk or saline. Don’t scrub it or wrap it in tissue.
- If you can, gently push it back into the socket facing the right way, then bite on clean gauze to hold it.
- If it won’t go back in, keep it in a small container of milk. An adult can also hold it inside the cheek. Don’t store it in plain water, which damages the root cells.
- Call us right away. Teeth replanted within about 30 minutes have the best chance of surviving, though some can still be saved up to an hour or more later.
Knocked-out baby tooth
Don’t put a baby tooth back in, because it can damage the adult tooth developing underneath. Press clean gauze on the spot to stop bleeding and call us so we can check for other injuries. Our children’s dentistry team sees kids of all ages.
Chipped or broken tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm water, save any pieces in milk, and hold a cold pack on your cheek for swelling. Cover a sharp edge with sugar-free gum or orthodontic wax. Call the same day if it hurts or you can see a pink or red spot in the center of the tooth. Many breaks can be repaired with bonding or a crown.
Severe toothache
Rinse with warm salt water, floss gently to clear trapped food, and take an over-the-counter pain reliever as the label directs. Don’t put aspirin on your gum. Call us the same day for swelling or severe pain. Our guide Is My Toothache an Emergency? explains how to judge urgency.
Lost filling or crown
Keep the crown in a safe container. Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy can hold a crown or cover the hole for a day or two. Never use superglue or household glue. Chew on the other side and call us to have it repaired or replaced. Learn about fillings.
Something stuck between your teeth
Popcorn hulls and nut shells are common culprits. Floss gently on both sides of the tooth. Don’t use a pin, toothpick, or other sharp object, which can cut your gums. Call if you can’t get it out.
Cut lip, tongue, or cheek
Rinse with water and press clean gauze on the cut for 10 to 15 minutes. A cold pack helps with swelling. If the bleeding won’t stop or the cut is deep, go to urgent care or the ER.
When to go to the ER instead
Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 for trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling that spreads to your neck or eye, a high fever with facial swelling, a possible broken jaw, or bleeding that won’t stop. Once you’re stable, call us to take care of the tooth.
Pack a small dental kit for holiday travel
- Clean gauze and a small container with a lid
- Dental wax (for patients with braces)
- An over-the-counter pain reliever and floss
- Your dental insurance card
- Save our office number to your contacts
If you’re out of town and need care, the American Dental Association’s Find-a-Dentist tool can help you locate a dentist nearby.
How to prevent holiday dental emergencies
- Go easy on hard candy, candy canes, peanut brittle, and ice. Let them dissolve instead of biting down.
- Crack nuts with a nutcracker, not your teeth.
- Use scissors to open packages, tags, and bottles.
- Wear a mouthguard for skiing, snowboarding, sledding, or pickup games.
- Keep up with brushing and flossing, and book your cleaning and exam before the year ends.
Emergency dental care in Corvallis
If something happens, call us. Same-day appointments may be available depending on the problem and our schedule. Our office is open Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm, at 2318 NW Kings Blvd. Learn more about our emergency dental care.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a dental emergency?
A knocked-out adult tooth, a broken tooth with pain, severe tooth pain, swelling in your gum or face, and bleeding that won’t stop all need same-day care. Trouble breathing or swallowing needs the ER.
What should I do if a tooth is knocked out?
Pick it up by the crown, rinse it briefly in milk if dirty, and try to put it back in the socket. If that isn’t possible, keep it in milk and see a dentist within 30 minutes if you can. Don’t replant baby teeth.
Can I glue a crown back on myself?
Use temporary dental cement from a pharmacy, not superglue or household glue. Household glue can damage the tooth and crown. Call your dentist to have it properly recemented.
Should I go to the ER for a broken tooth?
Usually not. Call your dentist. Go to the ER only if you also have a possible broken jaw, bleeding that won’t stop, or swelling that affects your breathing or swallowing.
Is Corvallis Dental Group open over the holidays?
We’re open Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm, outside of holiday closures. Contact us directly for our latest schedule.
