Lakebay Same-Day Care for Toothaches, Breaks and Lost Crowns
Our emergency policy, in full: "We are dedicated to helping our patients during an emergency. Please call the office and we will accommodate you as soon as possible. If the office is closed when you call, you will receive specific instructions on how to obtain emergency advice or care. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room."
Start by calling (253) 851-4025. Tell us what happened and when, and we can judge how fast you need to be seen.
What counts as a dental emergency?
Pain you can't manage, bleeding that won't stop, a tooth knocked out or knocked loose, or swelling in your face or gums. Damage that doesn't hurt still counts if a sharp edge is cutting your tongue.
What to do before you get here
Toothache or severe tooth pain
Rinse with warm water and floss either side of the tooth to clear anything trapped. Don't hold aspirin against the gum, which burns the tissue. Pain that throbs on its own or wakes you at night usually means the nerve is involved, and it rarely settles on its own.
Chipped or broken tooth
Save the pieces and cover a sharp edge with sugarless gum or dental wax. A cold compress outside the cheek helps swelling. Small chips are often repaired with a filling; a larger break may need a crown, which we make from a digital scan of your tooth.
Knocked-out tooth
Time matters more here than with any other injury. Call on your way. Pick the tooth up by the crown, never by the root. Don't scrub it. Rinse it briefly with milk or water if it is dirty, and leave attached tissue alone. If you can, slip it back into the socket and bite gently on clean cloth to hold it there. If you can't, keep it moist in a cup of milk or tucked inside your cheek. A tooth that dries out is much harder to save.
Lost filling or crown
Bring the crown with you if you still have it — it can often be re-cemented. Chew on the other side, and never use household glue, which damages both tooth and crown.
Dental abscess or facial swelling
Call us the same day. An abscess is a pocket of infection, often a pimple-like bump on the gum, with a bad taste, a fever, or a swollen face. Salt-water rinses may ease the soreness, but an abscess needs to be treated.
Broken denture or partial
Stop wearing it and bring in every piece, so we can see whether it is repairable. Home repairs change the fit, and a denture that no longer seats right rubs your gums raw.
Something stuck between your teeth
Try floss first, worked gently in and out rather than snapped down. Never use a pin, a knife tip, or anything metal. You will cut the gum long before you shift anything.
Cut lip, cheek, tongue, or gum
Rinse with mild salt water, then hold clean gauze on the spot with firm pressure for 15 minutes. Still bleeding after that? Go to the emergency room.
When to go to the emergency room instead
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Swelling spreading toward your eye or down your neck
- Bleeding you cannot control with pressure
- A suspected broken or dislocated jaw
- A life-threatening injury or a blow to the head
When you can reach us
Our Gig Harbor office at 14315 62nd Ave NW is open:
- Monday: 8:00am to 5:00pm
- Tuesday: 8:00am to 3:30pm
- Wednesday: 8:00am to 5:00pm
- Thursday: 8:00am to 3:30pm
- Friday: Closed
If you are hurt outside those hours, call anyway. If the office is closed when you call, you will receive specific instructions on how to obtain emergency advice or care.
Call (253) 851-4025
Describe what happened and we'll tell you what to do next. Our Gig Harbor office also serves Purdy, Key Center, Fox Island, Olalla, Port Orchard, Bremerton, University Place, Shelton, and the Tacoma Narrows.