Emergency Dentist – Falmouth, ME
For Toothaches and Other Serious Dental Issues
Do you have tooth pain that seems to have come out of nowhere? Did one of your teeth break while you were trying to bite down on something hard? Have you lost a tooth in an accident? All of these are examples of dental emergencies where professional intervention is needed, and we urge you to call our office for help right away. No matter what kind of situation you find yourself in, our team will make sure that you feel comfortable and well-cared-for while Dr. Chadbourne, our Falmouth emergency dentist, works to save your smile.
Why Choose Falmouth Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?
- Practice Well-Known for Providing Comfortable Care
- State-of-the-Art Dental Technology
- We Always Put Our Patients First
I Need a Checkup & Cleaning I Have a Cavity or Broken Tooth I am Missing One or More Teeth I Want to Enhance My Smile I Want a Straighter Smile I Have Jaw Pain I'm Having Trouble Sleeping View Our Services
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
- Schedule an Emergency Appointment: Obviously, step one is for you to call our office. We’ll ask about what happened and what kind of symptoms you’re experiencing; we can also offer first-aid advice if you need it. We’ll then check our schedule to determine how quickly we can see you and set up an appointment.
- Perform an Emergency Exam: It won’t always be obvious what’s causing your emergency or how far the damage has already spread, so our team will need to complete a full dental examination.
- Review Findings: After we’ve figured out the cause of your emergency, we’ll give you our recommendations for resolving it. We’ll explain what treatments are needed, how long they can be expected to take, and what the overall cost of your care is likely to be.
- Treat Your Smile: Our caring team will take whatever steps are necessary to get you back on the path to good oral health.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies come in a variety of forms, and they tend to be the result of either poor oral hygiene practices or sudden accidents. Ignoring them for too long can have dire consequences, so call us immediately if any of the following dental emergencies happen to you or one of your family members.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
Knowing where to turn when something happens is important, but so is knowing how to protect your smile from harm. With this in mind, we’re covering some helpful information on how to protect your smile in this next section. So, read on if you want to learn how to keep yours decay and disease-free!
Maintain a Good Oral Hygiene Routine
Maintaining a good oral hygiene routine will keep your breath fresh while also preventing plaque and tartar buildup. That’s why it’s so important! We recommend starting with the basics, like brushing twice a day for two full minutes, flossing at least once before you go to bed, and rinsing with an ADA-approved mouthwash. Remember, the amount of time you dedicate to each step matters too, so brush for a full two minutes and rinse with mouthwash for 30-60 seconds.
Avoid Using Your Teeth as Tools
At first, you might think this doesn’t apply to you. However, if you use your teeth to remove plastic wrapping, the cap on your water bottle, or even to hold your keys when your hands are full, it does. After all, even seemingly harmless habits like these dramatically increase your risk of dental damage. So, it’s important that you get in the habit of reaching for the appropriate tools instead, like the scissors.
Steer Clear of Crunchy Foods
Hard pretzels, peanut brittle, raw almonds, and other crunchy foods can cause your enamel to chip or crack. For that reason, we recommend steering clear of them (or, at the very least, limiting your intake). It’s also a good idea to fill your plate with lots of softer, more nutrient-dense foods, like cottage cheese and oatmeal.
Wear a Mouthguard to Protect Your Smile
It goes without saying that you should wear a mouthguard during contact sports, like football. However, what many patients don’t know is that it’s just as important to wear one while riding a bike, lifting weights, or jogging. After all, it takes just one bad fall for you to sustain a serious dental injury. We also recommend having a mouthguard made if you have bruxism so we can protect your teeth from constant grinding/clenching.
Schedule a Dental Visit Every Six Months
Routine dental visits ensure we can catch (and treat!) common oral health problems in the early stages. Not only that, but they allow our dental hygienists to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth, reducing your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and more. Of course, if you suspect that something is wrong between visits, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact our emergency dentist in Falmouth.