If you're in Kansas City with a Dental Emergency...

                     .... immediately contact Dr. John P. Goodman DDS.  If outside of regular office hours, send Dr. Goodman an email or inquiry through our website.  He or a team member will receive your email and someone will be able to respond almost immediately.  You can also call our office for Dr. Goodman's direct line listed on our voicemail. 

For the future, this post will give you tips if caught in any of these following unfortunate scenarios.

 Tooth Pain or Ache

If you're having a toothache or tooth pain that won't go away, call Kansas City Dentist, Dr. John P. Goodman.  In the meantime you can rinse your mouth with warm water.  For the toothache, pain, or the feeling of something lodged in your teeth try flossing if it doesn't further irritate the tooth.    If you have swelling or feel pain surrounding the toothache, apply an ice pack to the cheek around over the area to reduce pain and swelling until you can meet with Dr. John Goodman.  In extreme cases, take an Ibeprofen to help minimize pain until you can see your dentist.

Severe Swelling or Bleeding

If you have severe swelling or bleeding that won't stop, see Dr. Goodman immediately or go to the Emergency Room.  To stop the bleeding or minimize swelling, try rinsing with a salt-water mixture and apply a cold compress and pressure to the cheek near the injury for about 10 minutes.   

Abscess

An abscess is a pimple-like bubble  that normally occurs around the root of a tooth or between the tooth and gums.  This is a severe, tissue damaging infection that if left untreated can spread and take harm to other parts of the body. To help minimize pain and soreness, try a salt-water mixture rinse throughout the day until you can see Dr. John Goodman.  

Broken, Chipped, or Lost (Permanent) Tooth

This patient's two front teeth were knocked out and reglued backward by the Emergency Room.  After visiting Dr. Goodman, he was able to treat and restore this patient's smile.

Before (post-emergency room)        After treatment with Dr. Goodman

If your tooth is knocked out, there is a chance Dr. John Goodman can save it if you contact our office immediately and come in within an hour of the tooth falling out.  As soon as the tooth is knocked out, keep it in your cheek or place in a cup of milk.  The knocked out tooth will be preserved by your saliva, keeping it in it's normal environment will cause less trauma than out of your mouth in the open air.  Having a tooth out of the mouth is similar to a fish out of water.  By keeping your tooth in a glass of milk, it will absorb the vitamins and minerals to preserve the tooth until being re-connected to it's original place if trauma isn't too severe. 

Loose, Broken, or Lost Dental Crown or Fillings

If your crown or filling is loose, uncomfortable, broken or even falls out, contact our office! Due to a variety of factors including aging, shifting, chewing, and grinding over the years, the filling material or cement holding your crown to your tooth is bound to deteriorate.  This can cause the filling or crown to even become uncomfortable if still in tact in some cases.   If you lose, break, or have an uncomfortable crown or filling,   Dr. John Goodman will re-cement, personalize, and recreate your dental crown or filling to fit your  General, Restorative and Cosmetic Dental needs.

Loose Brackets or Broken Braces

If you have loose, broken, or extremely uncomfortable brackets, try using the eraser end of a pencil to push any poking wires back into place until you can see Dr. John Goodman.  Never try to cut the wires or brackets for you could cause yourself greater harm than good.   If you can't reposition the brackets or wires to where they were or a comfortable position, use orthodontic wax and cover it with a cotton ball to keep from poking your cheek or gums. 

We hope that you are never faced with any of the above situations.  If you are, please call our office immediately so that Dr. Goodman can find the best treatment for you in a timely manner.  The Emergency Room may not have the necessary dental instruments or skill to properly treat your emergency.  Dr. Goodman's goal is to provide every guest with a fulfilling, enjoyable experience and wants to be there for you in your time of need, even when outside of regular hours.  If you are calling, please have your information including dental insurance readily available.