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What should I do in a dental emergency in Cupertino?
If you are experiencing a dental emergency, call Enso Dental immediately at 408-873-0802.
During Office Hours: We prioritize emergencies and will arrange for you to be seen as quickly as possible.
After Hours: Our live answering service will alert Dr. Ankita Mota. She will call you back to answer your questions and determine if an immediate emergency exam at our Cupertino office is necessary.
Immediate Action for Specific Emergencies
Knocked-Out Tooth
Safety First: If the injury involves trauma to your head or jaw, call 911 or go to an emergency room immediately.
Handle with Care: Pick up the tooth by the crown (the top), not the root. Touching the root can damage the attachment tissue.
Rinse: Gently rinse the tooth with lukewarm salt water. Do not scrub it.
Re-insert or Protect: If possible, gently place the tooth back in the socket and bite down. If you can't, keep it moist in a cup of milk or water.
Time is Critical: Getting to our office quickly is the best way to save the tooth.
Broken, Cracked, or Fractured Tooth
Collect Pieces: Save any broken fragments and wrap them in a clean, moist cloth.
Rinse & Soothe: Rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water and apply a cold compress to the outside of your face to reduce swelling.
Pain Management: Use Ibuprofen (not Aspirin, as it can increase bleeding).
Seek Care: Only a dentist can determine the severity of a fracture. We provide treatments ranging from composite restorations to crowns or root canals depending on the damage.
Object Stuck in Teeth
Try to gently remove the object with dental floss.
Warning: Never use sharp or pointed instruments, as they can crack the enamel or damage your gums. If it won't budge, schedule an appointment with us.
Lost Filling, Crown, or Veneer
A lost restoration is a dental emergency because it leaves the sensitive inner tooth exposed to decay and pain. Call us to have the restoration replaced as soon as possible.
Emergency Dental Care for Children
Knocked-Out Baby Tooth Even if it is a baby tooth, you must keep it moist (in milk or a preservation product) and avoid touching the root. Dr. Mota will examine the site to determine if the tooth can or should be re-implanted and to check for damage to the underlying permanent tooth.
Mouth & Soft Tissue Injuries For tears or punctures to the cheek, lips, or tongue, clean the area immediately with lukewarm water. Use gauze to apply firm pressure to bleeding areas. Seek immediate hospital care for severe lacerations, and follow up with Enso Dental for an oral health assessment.
Identifying a Dental Emergency
How do I know if my problem is an emergency? If you are in pain or worried, it is an emergency to us. Common signs that require immediate attention include:
Sudden, severe tooth pain or swelling.
A toothache causing radiating facial pain.
An unexplained bump or "pimple" on the gums.
Trauma from sports or an accident.
A loose or "pushed" tooth (try to reposition it with light finger pressure and bite down to stabilize it until you arrive at our office).
I am not a regular patient. Can you help me? Yes. We welcome all members of the Cupertino community in need of emergency treatment. Our goal is to provide relief and protect your oral health as quickly as possible.
Prevention & Preparation
How can I prepare for a dental emergency? Keep a Dental Emergency Kit at home containing:
Enso Dental’s phone number: 408-873-0802
Dental floss, mirror, and a small flashlight.
Temporary filling material and orthodontic wax.
Gauze, cotton balls, and saline solution.
Ibuprofen (Avoid Aspirin, which is an anti-coagulant and can cause excessive bleeding).
How can I avoid dental emergencies?
Maintain a routine of brushing three times daily and flossing nightly.
Visit Enso Dental twice a year for professional cleanings and exams.
Wear a mouthguard and helmet during high-contact sports.
Still have questions?
If you did not find what you were looking for, call us directly at 408-873-0802. We are here to help.
I’m not a regular patient. What are my options in a dental emergency?
It is especially important to take care of dental emergencies as quickly as possible so we can try to do whatever it takes to save your tooth. Please be aware that if your dental emergency includes trauma to your head or jaw, it is imperative that you call 911 or seek immediate treatment at an emergency room. We also understand how painful and frightening a dental emergency can be, and we want to make sure that you receive the treatment you need to get relief as quickly as possible. There is no reason for you to suffer needlessly when we’re available to help you. Our team members are compassionate professionals who will advise you on the best way to handle your emergency and make arrangements for you to be seen as quickly as possible. If you or any member of your family is in need of emergency treatment, we welcome your phone call. Your oral health is extremely important to our team, and we want to protect it in any way we can.
My tooth was knocked out. What should I do?
If your tooth was knocked out as a result of injury to your head or jaw, call 911 or go to an emergency room immediately. Otherwise you should contact our office ASAP. Until you can get to our office in Cupertino, one of the most important things to avoid is touching the root of the tooth. The root has tissue attached to it that must be kept intact to help save the tooth.
It is important to get to our office quickly because the faster we can we can treat you, the better our odds are of saving the tooth. To protect the root from any further damage, hold the crown of the tooth gently, and rinse very carefully with lukewarm salt water. Do not try to scrub the tooth because it is important to protect the root and tooth by keeping it intact.
If possible, gently try to insert the root of the tooth back in its socket. Besides preventing further damage to the root, it is very important to make sure that the root does not dry out before you can get to our office. If you are unable to replace the root in the socket, place the tooth in a cup of milk or water to keep it wet.
My tooth was pushed out of position, what should I do?
Attempt to reposition the tooth to its normal alignment using very light finger pressure, but do not force the tooth.
Bite down to keep the tooth from moving.
Call Enso Dental at 408-873-0802 to set up an appointment as soon as possible.
Dr. Mota may splint the tooth in place to the two healthy teeth next to the loose tooth.
How Should I Remove an Object Stuck in my Child’s Tooth?
If an object is stuck in your mouth or in your child’s mouth, try to gently remove it with floss. Cupertino Dentist, Dr. Mota cautions that sharp or pointed instruments should never be used, as they may crack the teeth or damage the soft gums. Objects stuck in teeth can be painful or cause infection if not removed. Schedule an appointment with Enso Dental if you cannot dislodge it.
What can I do about a broken tooth?
Whether you crack a tooth biting down on a hard object or have suffered facial trauma, cracked teeth can cause more than just cosmetic complications. Left untreated by a dentist, a cracked tooth can worsen, leading to infection and even tooth loss.
In the event that you crack or break one of your teeth, try to collect as many of the broken pieces as possible and wrap them in a clean, moist cloth. Call us at Enso Dental right away. The sooner you can get an appointment, the sooner they can repair the damaged tooth for you.
When a tooth is fractured:
Rinse mouth with lukewarm salt water.
Use an ice pack or cold compress to reduce swelling.
Use ibuprofen, not aspirin, for pain; providing that you don’t have an allergy or contraindication to ibuprofen or have a sensitive stomach or stomach ulcers.
Immediately get to your dentist, who will determine treatment based on how badly the tooth is broken. Only a dentist can tell how bad the break is.
Minor fracture: Minor fractures can be smoothed by your dentist with a sandpaper disc or simply left alone. Another option is to restore the tooth with a composite restoration. In either case, treat the tooth with care for several days.
Moderate fracture: Moderate fractures include damage to the enamel, dentin and/or pulp. If the pulp is not permanently damaged, the tooth may be resorted with a full permanent crown. If pupal damage does occur, further dental treatment will be required.
Severe Fracture: Severe fractures often mean a traumatized tooth with slim chance of recovery.
What should I do if the inside of my mouth is injured?
Call us at Enso Dental immediately and schedule an appointment.
When tissue is injured:
Injuries to the inside of the mouth include tears, puncture wounds and lacerations to the cheek, lips or tongue. The wound should be cleaned right away with lukewarm water, and the injured person taken to the hospital emergency room for the necessary care. Bleeding from a tongue laceration can be reduced by pulling the tongue forward and using gauze to place pressure on the wound. Most likely you will also need a follow up visit with your Cupertino Dentist, Dr. Mota.
What can I do to relieve pain or swelling?
Take an anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen. Avoid Aspirin because it contains ingredients that will thin your blood and thus exacerbate the situation. Call Enso Dental to address the cause of your pain or swelling. We might ask you to come to the office to examine your pain or swelling and take x-rays.
How do I know if my problem is a dental emergency?
There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night with excruciating tooth pain. In many cases, the pain may be so severe that you can’t even tell which tooth it’s coming from.
It doesn’t matter whether others think it’s an emergency, because at that moment it is certainly an emergency as far as you’re concerned. As a general guideline, some of the more common dental emergencies that we see are:
An accident or damage to your tooth that has caused it to break or fracture
An unexplained bump or pimple on your gums
Sudden severe tooth pain or swelling
A toothache that is severe enough to cause radiating facial pain
Sports injury or trauma caused by an accident
Loss of a filling, dental crown, veneer, or other type of restoration
If you have experienced any of the above, or even if you have a sudden dental problem that is not listed above, don’t ever hesitate to contact Cupertino Dentist, Dr. Mota. If your emergency happens during regular office hours, we will see you as quickly as possible.
Our live answering service will have Dr. Mota call you back and answer your questions and determine the best course of action to treat your emergency.
I lost a filling. How do I know if it’s an emergency?
There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night with excruciating tooth pain. In many cases, the pain may be so severe that you can’t even tell which tooth it’s coming from.
It doesn’t matter whether others think it’s an emergency, because at that moment it is certainly an emergency as far as you’re concerned. As a general guideline, some of the more common dental emergencies that we see are:
An accident or damage to your tooth that has caused it to break or fracture
An unexplained bump or pimple on your gums
Sudden severe tooth pain or swelling
A toothache that is severe enough to cause radiating facial pain
Sports injury or trauma caused by an accident
Loss of a filling, dental crown, veneer, or other type of restoration
If you have experienced any of the above, or even if you have a sudden dental problem that is not listed above, don’t ever hesitate to contact Cupertino Dentist, Dr. Mota. If your emergency happens during regular office hours, we will see you as quickly as possible.
Our live answering service will have Dr. Mota call you back and answer your questions and determine the best course of action to treat your emergency.
My jaw is fractured. What can I do?
Call 911
Jaw injury should be considered an emergency due to the potential issues related to bleeding or limited breathing. So as you await medical help, support your jaw to provide stabilization and to maintain an open airway. Surgery might be necessary for severe breaks resulting in displaced portions of bone. Luckily, if the fracture is clean, your jaw wills self-heal as long as it’s immobilized.
The type of fracture ultimately dictates the required method of treatment. A minor break might only need a bandage for your chin and head to prevent the jaw from opening too wide. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories can ease any pain or discomfort while reducing swelling during this process. A more severe fracture, though, may require your jaw to stay wired shut for the time being to keep the jaw closed and preserve your bite. Expect at least six weeks recovery time for a fractured jaw. And because opening your mouth will (and should) be minimal if the break is serious, your diet will have to temporarily consist in liquids through a straw.