Are you in pain? When it comes to dental emergencies, time is of the essence. Tooth and mouth pain typically point to infections or oral injuries that can rapidly worsen without immediate intervention. If you're currently experiencing symptoms associated with tooth pain or trauma, the first thing you should do is call Dr. Scott Hoffman. Our Menlo Park dentist office can get you in right away to ease your discomfort as quickly as possible.
Even if we aren’t in the office, Dr. Hoffman lives nearby. It’s not uncommon for him to meet his patients of record after hours in the instance of a severe dental emergency.
Types of Dental Emergencies
Some of the most common types of emergencies we see in our practice include:
- Dental infections
- Swelling
- Severe pain or toothaches
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Broken fillings and crowns
- Traumatically injured teeth
- Denture repairs
Where to Start
First, call our office. We’ll make every effort to see you as soon as you’re able to get to our practice. If you’ve traumatically injured a tooth or teeth, or broken off a part of a tooth, try to locate it. Sometimes whole teeth can be gently rinsed and reinserted, otherwise, all teeth and tooth fragments should be placed into a container of milk. In most cases, you only have one to two hours to successfully replace the broken tooth fragment.
Broken Crowns, Partials, or Dentures
Do not attempt to glue your crown or bridge back into place. Instead, store it safely in a zip-top bag to prevent misplacing it. After inspecting your prosthesis, Dr. Hoffman will make any attempt to cement it back into place or repair the damage.
Have a Toothache?
Call the office of Dr. Scott Hoffman immediately. If we are out of the office, please follow the prompts on the answering machine to leave us a message. Dr. Hoffman’s cell phone number is available after hours, and he can also be reached by text.