What Do I Do if I Lose a Tooth?

October 3, 2017

Hand with a knocked out toothIt can happen in the blink of an eye. One minute you’re perfectly safe having a great day, and the next you feel a tooth fly out of your mouth. Usually, that feeling is preceded by an impact or bite into something hard, but still, losing a permanent tooth typically comes as a shock. Keep reading to learn more about how to respond if you lose a tooth or experience other dental emergencies.

Step 1 – Take a Breath

We know an accident or injury that leads to a knocked out tooth can be really stressful or frightening, but it’s important you stay calm. Take a few breaths, and give your dentist a call. A good dentist will have a team member available to help walk patients through first aid and pain management over the phone. This will help you stay calm and get the emergency dental help you need.

Step 2 – Retrieve the Tooth

Once you’ve calmed down a bit, look for your tooth. When you find it, handle it by the crown (top of the tooth) rather than the roots. Look over the tooth to see if it’s broken or damaged. You want to make sure there is not a piece of tooth missing or still in the socket.

Step 3 – Clean the Area & Knocked Out Tooth

Holding the tooth by the crown, you can run cool water over it to remove any dirt or debris, but do not brush or rub the tooth as any remaining soft tissue is essential to the reattachment process. Then, rinse out your mouth with cool water. If the vacated socket is bleeding heavily, you can bite down on clean gauze or cloth to stop the flow of blood. An ice pack applied at 20 minute intervals (20 on /20 off) will also help to slow the bleeding.

Step 4 – Replace the Tooth in its Socket

If the entire tooth is knocked loose and there are no small pieces of tooth remaining in the socket, you should be able to return the tooth to its original socket. Once in place, bite down on gauze or clean cloth to hold the tooth in position.

Step 5 – Store the Tooth if You’re Unable to Replace It

If for any reason you cannot safely or comfortably return the tooth to its socket, you can store it in a container filled with water or whole milk. This will keep the tooth moist and protect any remaining soft tissue that’s attached to the knocked out tooth. If you’re comfortable doing so, you can also place the tooth between your cheek and gums in order to keep it in a more natural state.

Meet Dr. Javeed

At the Virginia Beach dental office of Astra Javeed, DMD, we’re here to help whenever patients need us most. Whether you lose a tooth on Monday morning or Saturday night, we’ll do our utmost to see you right away. Contact the Smile Care Family Dentistry team anytime you need us for emergency dental care. From toothaches to facial trauma, we’ll do our utmost to relieve pain and get a smile back on your face right away.

Take Care of Gum Disease With Excellent Periodontal Therapy in Virginia Beach, VA

August 12, 2015

Filed under: Gum disease — Tags: , , , , , — dr_javeed @ 7:02 pm

Treat your gum disease with periodontal therapy.Here’s a startling stat: gum disease, or gingivitis, is the most common disease in the United States. Did your eyes and ears just perk up? That’s taking into account all sorts of ailments including cavities, missing teeth, oral cancer and others. Include heart disease, Alzheimer’s and more in that category, too. Gum disease beats all of them in how many people it affects. How rampant is the disease? Roughly 80% of the country is suffering from any kind of gum disease. Yikes! That’s way too many people to be suffering from such a debilitating disease. Your mouth is a very important part of the body, and one that works in conjunction with the rest of your body to bring you overall health. Whenever gum disease pops up, it can cause major problems for your oral health. You must get it treated, and our office in Virginia Beach, VA has the tools and team to zap gum disease at its core. If you or a family member think gum disease may be infecting your mouth, see the dentist area residents go to for any dental assistance: Dr. Asra Javeed. To treat gum disease, Virginia Beach residents look to Dr. Javeed.
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Emergency Dentist in Virginia Beach

May 11, 2015

466710389Emergencies don’t make appointments. And even if they did, they wouldn’t happen at a convenient time, because how can there be a convenient time for an emergency? That’s why experts recommend practicing what you should do in case of an emergency. So, if you or a loved one is having a dental emergency, this is what you should do: call 757-383-8974 for the Virginia Beach emergency dentist, Smile Care Family Dentistry. Dr. Asra Javeed and her staff provide emergency dental care in Virginia Beach, VA.

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Restorative Dentist in Virginia Beach, VA

March 18, 2015

151545340We all understand the importance of brushing and flossing our teeth, visiting the dentist, and taking care of our oral health in general. Despite our best efforts, however, we aren’t always able to prevent complications like cavities, tooth loss, or injuries. Fortunately, Dr. Asra Javeed and the team at Smile Care Family Dentistry are here to help with restorative dentistry solutions in Virginia Beach, VA and the surrounding areas.

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Your Trusted 23452 Family Dentist at Smile Care Family Dentistry

February 18, 2015

510043207You work hard every day to ensure that your family is happy and healthy. At Smile Care Family Dentistry, we see it as our duty to keep every smile in your family safe from common oral health concerns, including cavities, injuries, gum disease, and more. With our extensive range of family dentistry services, Dr. Asra Javeed and our entire team keep the smiles of Virginia Beach, VA families looking and feeling their best.

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Smile with Confidence with Your Virginia Beach, VA Cosmetic Dentist

January 24, 2015

101799276If you often feel self-conscious about the appearance of your smile, you’re not alone. Millions of American men and women experience dissatisfaction regarding the way their teeth or gums look, but today’s cosmetic dentistry services make it possible to achieve a radiant, flawless smile more easily than ever before. At Smile Care Family Dentistry, Dr. Asra Javeed and her team offer a full range of cosmetic dentistry services to patients in Virginia Beach, VA and the surrounding areas.

How Can Cosmetic Dentistry Benefit You?

Your smile is your introduction to the world. Do you feel that it is sending the right message? Teeth that are chipped, gapped, stained, or otherwise marred by imperfections may lead you to hide your smile in social and business situations. Fortunately, Dr. Javeed is a skilled cosmetic dentist with years of experience helping patients just like you reveal brighter, more confident smiles.

One of our most popular cosmetic dentistry services is teeth whitening. Discoloration caused by coffee, red wine, tea, tobacco, and dark foods are erased with professional take-home teeth whitening kits from Smile Care Family Dentistry. Simply wear your custom whitening trays for the prescribed amount of time every day, and see years of stains disappear.

Another commonly requested cosmetic dentistry solution is porcelain veneers. These ultra-thin, stain-resistant layers of dental ceramic are meticulously crafted to fit over the front surfaces of your existing teeth. They are beautifully fabricated from fine porcelain, a material that reflects light in the same way that enamel does. Porcelain veneers are commonly used to correct cosmetic flaws like gaps, chips, deep stains, cracks, and uneven tooth shape. Typically, veneers can be placed in as few as two visits to our office. We also offer tooth-colored fillings and custom porcelain crowns.

Schedule Your Cosmetic Dentistry Visit

There’s never been a better time to unveil your most beautiful smile. Start the New Year off right with a new you at Smile Care Family Dentistry with Dr. Asra Javeed and her team of highly trained oral health professionals. We’ll take the time to sit down with you to discuss your cosmetic dentistry goals and expectations, all while answering any questions you may have about our available treatments. Contact us today to schedule your visit, and discover how easy and affordable it can be to straighten and brighten your smile.

Our state-of-the-art dental practice in Virginia Beach, VA proudly welcomes families from throughout the surrounding areas, including Chesapeake, Norfolk, and beyond.

Smile Confidently Once Again with High Quality Dental Crowns and Bridges in Virginia Beach, VA

December 24, 2014

512103033Are you missing one or more teeth? Dealing with tooth loss can be a traumatic and confusing experience. Ideally, our natural teeth should last a lifetime; however, for many Americans, that’s just not that case. Tooth damage and tooth loss can occur at any age. Advanced gum disease is the current leading cause of tooth loss in adults. The risk for tooth loss is increased for those who use tobacco products, or suffer from heart disease or diabetes. For older adults, plaque can naturally accumulate and become harder to remove. Gum recession, older fillings and dry mouth can also put seniors at risk of losing their natural teeth. Children can also experience tooth loss through injury or neglect. Damaged or missing teeth are not only embarrassing; they can also restrict your diet, cause sensitivity, make you look older, and make your other teeth vulnerable to decay. Don’t let tooth damage or tooth loss wreak havoc on your dental health. If you, or a loved one, have missing or damaged teeth for any reason, you should make a restorative dentistry appointment with Smile Care Family Dentistry today. Smile Care Family Dentistry offers high quality crowns and bridges to restore your oral health. The experienced team at Smile Care Family Dentistry proudly renew smiles daily throughout Virginia Beach, VA, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and nearby areas.

What Is a Dental Crown?

Usually made from ceramic or porcelains, dental crowns are tooth-like caps that can be placed over a damaged tooth to restore its natural shape, size, strength, and functioning. Cemented dental crowns fully enclose the visible portion of a tooth above the gum line, or fully replace a missing tooth with a dental implant. You made need a dental crown to:

  • Protect a weak tooth
  • Hold together parts of a cracked or chipped tooth
  • Restore a broken or worn down tooth
  • Support a tooth with a large filling
  • Improve the appearance of misshapen or discolored tooth
  • Dental implant restoration
  • Save a tooth that can’t support a filling
  • Protect the baby teeth of a child at high risk for tooth decay

What Is a Dental Bridge?

Dental bridges are used to “bridge the gap” between one or more missing teeth. Dental bridges consist of one or more dental crowns.  They serve to anchor dental crowns to surrounding healthy teeth. You may need a dental bridge to:

  • Restore your natural smile
  • Restore your natural tooth functioning
  • Maintain youthful facial features
  • Redistribute bite forces
  • Prevent remaining teeth from shifting

Virginia Beach Crowns and Bridges Appointments

Make an appointment with Smile Care Family Dentistry for your dental crown and bridge consultation today. Smile Care Family Dentistry is a trusted Virginia Beach restorative dental office. The highly qualified dentists of Smile Care Family Dentistry proudly serve families daily throughout Virginia Beach, VA, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and the surrounding communities.