Emergency Dentist Keokuk
We’re Here to Help Relieve Your Dental Pain
Emergency dentistry in Keokuk can help you quickly address a wide variety of oral injuries. Dr. Steve has the
experience and technology to provide fast relief whether you’re dealing with chipped and knocked-out teeth,
broken dentures, or lost dental crowns. Complete with a customized treatment plan, he will ensure you are
comfortable and at ease no matter your issue. Call us right away if you’re dealing
with a dental injury.
Why Choose Keokuk Family Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?
Same-Day Emergency Dental Appointments Available
Nitrous Oxide & Oral Conscious Sedation
Flexible Payment Options with and without Dental Insurance
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
The first thing you need to do is call our office. Let a member of our team know about your injury and how
severe it is. Based on your answers, we will offer first-aid tips and discuss when you can come for an
appointment. Once you’re here, we will take X-rays and provide our treatment recommendations. When you are
comfortable with the proposed approach, we will administer appropriate care immediately to get you out of pain.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Many patients don’t know what to do when faced with a serious injury, which is why you will find help
using the icons below. Apart from discussing how you can manage your situation at home, each one outlines how we
might treat the problem once you reach our office.
Toothaches
Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency?
A toothache may be a dental emergency depending on what causes it. If you notice symptoms like swelling,
redness, fever, fatigue, chills, a foul taste in your mouth, or pain severe enough to interfere with
your daily activities, please contact Keokuk Family Dentistry.
How You Should Handle a Toothache:
Begin by thoroughly brushing and flossing to eliminate food debris that may be causing pain between the
teeth. If this doesn’t work, use over-the-counter pain medication or an oral analgesic. Do not
attempt to pop any growths that appear in the soft tissues supporting the troubled tooth or apply
aspirin directly to the teeth or gums.
How We Treat Toothaches:
We’ll begin by thoroughly examining your mouth to determine the source of the problem. Once we
understand what is causing your pain, we will be able to address it with an appropriate method like a
filling, a root canal, or gum disease treatment. If the tooth cannot be saved, we’ll have to
extract it and consider a suitable replacement.
Chipped Teeth
Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency?
A mildly chipped tooth can usually afford to wait a few days before receiving treatment, but it’s
important to eventually have the staff at Keokuk Family Dentistry examine the damage and address it if
necessary. Neglecting to treat a chipped tooth can lead to injury and infection.
How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth:
If you can locate any pieces broken from your tooth, store them in a clean container so you can bring
them to our office. Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater to ease inflammation, flush away food debris,
and kill germs and refrain from using your injured tooth to chew. You may be able to cover the injury
with dental wax or sugar-free gum to reduce sensitivity.
How We Treat Chipped Teeth:
We can often repair chipped teeth with tooth-colored composite resin. However, it may be best to address
severe damage with a crown or a veneer.
Cracked Tooth
Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency?
Minor cracks are not usually dental emergencies, but large cracks require immediate treatment at our
office, especially if they extend beneath the gumline. Some cracks may be too small to see, so you may
have hidden damage if you experience dental sensitivity or discomfort when biting down.
How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth:
Begin by rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater to ease inflammation, loosen food debris, and kill
harmful bacteria. If necessary, apply a cold compress or take over-the-counter pain relievers. Avoid
chewing on the injured side of the mouth, and you can use dental wax or sugar-free gum to cover the
damaged area if it is especially sensitive.
How We Treat Cracked Teeth:
We can usually treat mild cracks with dental bonding and severe cracks with dental crowns. However, a
tooth that is damaged beyond repair will have to be extracted and replaced.
Very Sensitive Teeth
Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? There are some cases where dental sensitivity does
warrant an emergency visit. For example, if you’re not sure what the trigger is, and your symptoms have lasted
for more than 24 hours, you should schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Keokuk.
How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: Until your appointment with us, we recommend avoiding
anything that could exacerbate your discomfort, like ice cream and hot coffee. You can also take OTC pain medication
to help alleviate the sensitivity you’re experiencing in the short term.
How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: The answer depends entirely on what we find during the exam! If
it’s an infection in your gums, then gum disease treatment is in order. If it’s a large cavity that has
penetrated the inner layers of your tooth, then a root canal will likely be needed instead.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT
LEARN MORE ABOUT GUM DISEASE
TREATMENT
Knocked-Out Tooth
Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Since it only takes 15 minutes for the tooth to start to
die after it has been knocked out, the answer is a resounding “yes.” So, don’t wait – call
our team at Keokuk Family Dentistry right away.
How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: As we mentioned above, you need to call us right away so
we can schedule an emergency appointment at our office. Over the phone, we will also share what you should do in the
meantime, including locating the tooth, picking it up by the crown, and placing it back in its socket or in a clean
container filled with milk.
How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: If you come to us because you lost your tooth in Keokuk, then Dr.
Steven Sokolik can replace it with a custom dental bridge or implant. However, if you were able to find it,
it’s in good condition, and you get to our office within the hour, then there’s a good chance that
he’ll be able to save it.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS
Lost Filling or Crown
Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? A lost filling or dental crown does warrant an
immediate call to our office. However, same-day care isn’t always necessary. At the very least, we can
schedule an appointment before the end of the week and walk you through how to handle this dental injury in the
meantime.
How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: There are several steps we recommend taking, starting
with scheduling an appointment with us. In the meantime, do what you can to protect your tooth and your restoration
from harm, like not chewing on that side of your mouth.
How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: If you lost your restoration, don’t worry – Dr.
Sokolik can replace it. If, however, you arrive at our office with a relatively new dental crown that’s in
good condition, then he may be able to recement it back in place.
Broken Dentures
Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Yes! After all, chewing properly is difficult to do with a broken denture. Plus, continuing to wear it can cause it to break further. So, whether there is a small chip on the surface or your restoration has shattered into several pieces, it’s important that you call our team at Keokuk Family Dentistry right away.
How You Should Handle a Broken Denture: First, it’s important that we mention what you should NOT do: use superglue to try to repair your denture. Instead, you should schedule an appointment with us, place your restoration in a small, clean container for safekeeping, and stick to soft foods while the strength of your bite is temporarily compromised.
How We Treat Broken Dentures: That depends on how severe the damage is. If it’s relatively minor, we may be able to repair your dentures at our office. If that’s not an option, then we will either need to send it back to the dental lab or take updated impressions of your teeth so a new one can be made.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS
Loose Permanent Tooth
Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, a loose permanent tooth warrants same-day care from our emergency dentist in Keokuk, Dr. Steven Sokolik. Otherwise, there’s a chance that it could fall out completely if you don’t get the restorative dentistry that you need right away.
How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth: There are a few steps we recommend taking, starting with scheduling an emergency appointment. Then, shift your focus to doing what you can to prevent your tooth from loosening further, like not wiggling it with your tongue or chewing on that side of your mouth.
How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: Hopefully, we’ll be able to support your tooth with a dental splint until it heals back in place. If it cannot be saved, however, then we will need to extract it and replace it with the next best thing: a dental implant.
Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue
Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Not usually, no. In fact, soft tissue injuries like these can usually be handled at home relatively quickly and painlessly.
How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: First, rinse your mouth in the sink with clean, cool water so you can locate the cut. Then, apply pressure with gauze or a damp, clean washcloth. Once the bleeding has stopped, you can use a cold compress to alleviate lingering inflammation and swelling.
How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: Usually, soft tissue injuries can be handled with the previously mentioned steps. However, you should call 911 or head to the ER if the cut is bleeding uncontrollably.
Jaw Pain
Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? It is if it is negatively impacting your quality of life! For example, if your jaw pain is making it difficult to sleep soundly or concentrate at work, then you should reach out to our team at Keokuk Family Dentistry right away.
How You Should Handle Jaw Pain: To ease inflammation and discomfort, we recommend placing a cold compress against the outside of your cheek for 10 minutes at a time and taking OTC pain medication as directed. It’s also important that you avoid chewing on gum or eating anything crunchy since doing so can exacerbate your symptoms.
How We Treat Jaw Pain: That depends on what’s causing it! For most patients in their late teens and early twenties, it’s their wisdom teeth. If that’s the case for you, then our emergency dentist in Keokuk will extract them.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WISDOM TOOTH EXTRACTIONS
Something Stuck Between the Teeth
If something gets stuck between your teeth, don’t grab tweezers, a toothpick, or anything else sharp. Instead, dissolve some salt in warm water and rinse with the mixture a few times. Then, use a clean strand of floss to gently remove the debris that’s lodged in place.
