Emergency Care Services

Dental emergencies happen for a number of reasons, and often at the most inconvenient times. If you or a loved one is experiencing a severe dental injury or significant pain, don’t hesitate to contact the office of Dr. Joseph McCartin for the support you need. We’ll do everything we can to respond to your needs quickly, and if the office is closed, our answering service forwards your message to whoever is on call that night. In most cases, we can see you the same day as your initial call.

Here are some tips for how to best handle common dental emergencies until you’re able to reach our Chicago location:

Severe Toothache

Rinse your mouth, paying special attention to the area around the affected tooth. Is it possible that something may be lodged there that’s causing discomfort? Floss to make sure there’s not foreign matter stuck. If the pain persists, contact our office. Do not use sharp, pointed objects to remove items from between your teeth as that may result in serious soft-tissue damage.

Knocked Out Tooth

Do you still have the tooth? If so, rinse it very carefully under water so as to dislodge any foreign particles. Do your best to keep natural tissue attached .Then, place the tooth back into its original socket and hold it in place. If this isn’t possible, place the tooth in a cup of milk and make sure to bring it with you to our office. Once you’ve arrived, Dr. McCartin can determine whether reattachment is possible.

Fractured Tooth

A fractured tooth needs to be rinsed immediately with warm water. Then, apply a cold compress to the area right away so that any swelling that occurs can be minimized as you make your way to our office.