The world is full of ways to fall and crack a tooth, but you can’t stay cooped up in your house forever! Focus on what you can control, like having a top-notch dentist to call when disaster does strike.

Don’t risk your oral health. Choose a dentist with training, experience, and cutting-edge technology. Choose Dr. Matthew Bridges.

When you visit Dr. Bridges for regular checkups and cleanings, he’ll conduct a thorough exam. He may detect small issues – like a surface cavity or chip – and they can be addressed with restorative dental care. If a cavity is left untreated, you could end up with an insatiable toothache. A small crack left unattended can become a deep, painful crack. Your chance for experiencing a dental emergency will decrease dramatically. However, you have to do your part as a responsible patient: make consistent six-month checkups and cleanings, and visit us when you notice an abnormality or have oral pain.

At Chisholm Trail Smile Center in Duncan, OK, we also don’t want finances to prevent you from seeking help. Dr. Bridges makes sure we maintain affordable prices for our services. We are in-network with Health Choice and Delta Premier, but we accept many different insurance plans and will file on your behalf. We also accept Medicare and even offer third-party financing through CareCredit, an institution that offers low- and no-interest loans to qualified patients.

Though you can’t be certain that dental emergencies won’t happen to you, you can be prepared. To start, enter Dr. Bridges’ office number into your phone right now: (580) 255-4880.

Common Dental Emergencies

Cracked Tooth

Teeth may seem unbreakable. After all, diamonds are the only naturally-occurring compound that’s harder than tooth enamel. Regardless, a blow to the mouth or a bite on hard candy can cause a tooth to chip or crack. Some cracks are so tiny that they can only be seen through a microscope, but others can split a tooth in two, exposing the nerve; this is quite painful. If you chip or crack a tooth, call Dr. Bridges immediately, and understand that cracks can worsen with time.

Knocked-out Tooth

There are many ways to accidentally knock out a tooth, especially for a kid who plays sports. Luckily, Dr. Bridges treats kids. If your tooth gets knocked out, save it! Be careful to pick it up by the crown, because touching the root could damage the nerve and prevent it from naturally reattaching. Rinse it off, store it in water or milk, and contact our office as soon as possible to increase the chances of successfully reconnecting the tooth.

Lost Crown or Filling

If you feel your crown or filling coming loose, make sure you don’t swallow it. Don’t try to replace a filling. A fully intact, displaced crown might be reattached. Rubbing a bit of Vaseline on the back of the thoroughly dried crown, then reseating the crown on your dried tooth, can temporarily bond it to your tooth while you contact our office.

Painful Cavity

Toothaches can signal a range of issues: internal infection, a chip or crack, or a cavity. Dental cavities vary in severity, but if left untreated, the decay can spread and infect the tooth’s core, or surrounding teeth, or the gums. If you have a toothache, it’s past time to make an appointment. Call us, and we’ll see you the same day, if at all possible.

Sometimes, a toothache is caused by an abscess. The bacteria that cause tooth decay can form a pocket of bacterial infection, called an abscess, in the gums, in the tooth itself, or at the tooth root in the jawbone. If Dr. Bridges can save an abscessed tooth, he will suggest a root canal or another procedure. In some cases, extraction is the only option. After extraction, the tooth should be replaced so the upper and lower teeth fit together for a balanced bite.

Visit Dr. Matthew Bridges at Chisholm Trail Smile Center in Duncan, OK before trauma strikes. As our patient, you’ll have access to a dentist who can treat and, more importantly, help you prevent dental emergencies. Call (580) 255-4880, or contact us online, to schedule your appointment today.

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