If you are an existing patient with an urgent problem, call our office at 720-676-1231. During office hours we will fit you in as soon as we can. Outside office hours, follow the after-hours instructions on your post-operative sheet or the message on our office line.
Call 911 or go to an emergency room instead if
- You have difficulty breathing or swallowing.
- Swelling is spreading to your eye, under your tongue, or down your neck.
- You have bleeding that will not stop after 30 minutes of firm, continuous pressure.
- You have had a blow to the head, lost consciousness, or may have a fractured jaw.
- You have a high fever with facial swelling.
A spreading facial infection is genuinely dangerous. Do not wait it out overnight to see how it looks in the morning.
Common urgent problems and what to do first
- Bleeding after surgery. Bite firmly on damp gauze for a full 20 minutes without checking. Repeat once. Keep your head raised. Call us if it continues.
- Severe or worsening pain. Pain that increases after the third post-operative day should be assessed. Take your usual pain reliever as directed and call us.
- Swelling with fever or a bad taste. Likely infection. Call us the same day.
- A knocked-out adult tooth. Handle it by the crown, not the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline, never scrub it. Put it back in the socket if you can, otherwise keep it in milk and get to a dentist within the hour. Time matters enormously here.
- A loose or broken implant crown. Keep the piece, avoid chewing on that side, and call us. This is urgent but rarely an emergency.
- A lost dressing or stitch. Usually not an emergency. Keep the area clean and let us know.
- A cracked tooth or lost filling with no swelling. Call your general dentist, who handles restorative emergencies.
Until you are seen
Rinse gently with warm salt water, keep the area clean, use a cold pack on the outside of the face for swelling, stay with soft food, and avoid heat on the swollen area. Do not place aspirin directly against the gum, and do not try to lance a swelling yourself.
Our office
Perio Bright Dental Implant Center, 191 Telluride St, Suite 1, Brighton, CO 80601. Phone 720-676-1231. Office hours are Monday 9 AM to 6 PM, Wednesday and Thursday 8 AM to 5 PM, Friday 8 AM to 4 PM, and Saturday 8 AM to 2 PM. We are closed Tuesday and Sunday.