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Brenham Dental Center
(979) 830-8811
1406 S. Day St., Brenham, TX 77833

      

Dental Emergency

We are concerned about our patients' well-being at all times. If an emergency occurs during regular office hours, please call (979)830-8811 immediately and we will make every effort to see you promptly. Please understand if you are not a patient of record, it is our office policy for all emergency patients to pay for service rendered. If you have insurance, we will happy to assist you by submitting your claim. However, your insurance will need to reimburse you. For your convenience we accept all major credit cards.

Possible Emergency Situations

Broken Tooth:

Rinse your mouth with warm (room temperature) water to clean the area. Save the broken piece. It is not likely the piece can be saved, but in some cases (front teeth) it may be useful. Call the office at (979) 830-8811 to schedule a visit. If it is after hours and you feel you can wait until the office reopens, call and leave a clear message giving your name, date, and time of call and where you can be reached. Someone from the office will call you as soon as the office reopens. If the pain is too severe to wait, call the office (979) 530-5174 and follow the instructions.

 Crown Came Off:

Remove the crown from your mouth. Rinse and gently brush and floss the area (if it is not too sensitive). Dry the area with clean gauze, cotton and/or Q-tip. Place Vaseline or toothpaste (using a Q-tip or toothpick) inside the dried crown and place back on the tooth. Do not eat on that side. Please note, Vaseline or toothpaste is best if you cannot get to a pharmacy. As soon as your local pharmacy opens, you will need to purchase a tube of Fixodent and follow the same directions above, but place a very small amount of Fixodent instead of the Vaseline or toothpaste inside the crown and reseat the crown in place. Do not eat on that side. If for some reason you cannot reseat the crown, leave it off and BE SURE TO BRING IT WITH YOU AT YOUR SCHEDULED VISIT. Call the office (979)830-8811 immediately to schedule an appointment. If Dr. Baird is not available, leave a message and call the emergency number that is available on the machine.

 

Temporary Crown Came Off:

Follow the same directions above and call the office (979) 830-8811 to schedule an immediate appointment.

 

Cut Lip or Tongue:

 Clean the area gently with a cloth and apply ice or cold compresses to reduce any swelling. 

 

Toothache:

 Rinse the mouth out with luke warm water to clean it. Gently use dental floss or an inter-dental cleaner to ensure that there is no food or other debris caught between the teeth. Never put aspirin, alcohol, or any other painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth. This could cause a burn to the tissue. Call Dr. Baird at (979) 830-8811 immediately. If you cannot reach Dr. Baird and you have excessive swelling (abscess/infection) go to the hospital, you may need to start on a regimen of antibiotics immediately. DO NOT wait if the swelling is severe, infections in the face can be very serious!

 

Objects Caught Between The Teeth:

 If you have an electric toothbrush or water pick, try to remove the object with this device. Also, try to gently remove the object with dental floss; avoid cutting the gums. NEVER use a sharp instrument to remove any object that is stuck between your teeth. If this is not successful, call the office (979) 830-8811 to schedule a visit.

 

Tooth Knocked Out Completely:

 Only hold or touch the tooth by the crown (top part of the tooth that has enamel). Never touch the root. Rinse the tooth gently with warm water. DO NOT SCRUB the root. If possible, replace the tooth into the socket and call the office (979) 830-8811 as soon as possible. If you cannot place the tooth into the socket or are unsure, place it in a small container of milk or water.  If the area is bleeding, fold a piece of gauze (first aid kits usually have gauze) place in the area of the socket (where the tooth came out) and bite down. Place ice compresses over the area to avoid swelling. If you do not have any gauze, use a moist tea bag (remove the string and staple). If Dr. Baird is not available or cannot return your call, and the bleeding does not stop or you feel you need sutures, go to the hospital. Take the tooth with you. The hospital may have an Oral Surgeon on call.

 

Pain Medication:

 As in any case, always check with your doctor or pharmacist prior to taking any medication. You can take Advil or Motrin for pain, provided you do not have any allergies to this medication. This medication is an anti-inflammatory as well as pain medication. If you DO have an allergy to this medication, take whatever medication you would for a headache or any other pain. REMEMBER, never place the medication on the gum or tooth, take as directed.

 TMJ and Sleep Apnea 

One of the advantages of visiting Brenham Dental Center is that, thanks to the advanced training of Dr. Robin Faske Baird and Dr. Brian Baird, we can often diagnose and correct problems that you may not even consider being related to dentistry. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder can cause headaches, neck aches and backaches, stuffiness or pain in the ears, and dizziness or fainting, but rarely does the typical patient think to consult their dentist when suffering from any of these symptoms. Frequently, TMJ sufferers mistakenly believe that they have an ear infection. Similarly, as many as 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, but few know that a dental professional can often diagnose and treat this potentially life-threatening condition. At Brenham Dental Center, we have provided safe, effective TMJ treatment and sleep apnea treatment for patients

What Is TMJ disfunction?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects the lower jaw to the rest of the skull, is one of the most complex joints in the human body. Where most joints move back-and-forth or hinge along one plane of movement, the sophistication of the TMJ allows it to both rotate and slide. However, because the joint is so complex, if problems begin to develop with a TMJ it can cause a variety of symptoms. In fact, patients with TMJ disfunction often have difficulty getting a proper diagnosis and treatment for their condition because many of the symptoms may seem to have little to do with the jaw itself and medical doctors who are not used to dealing with complex dental issues may not recognize the signs of the disorder.

Some symptoms of TMJ disfunction include:

  • Clicking or popping sounds when opening and closing mouth
  • Earaches
  • Ringing, buzzing, stuffiness, or popping in the ears
  • Persistent, recurring headaches
  • Limited jaw movement, difficulty opening or closing jaw
  • Fainting or dizziness
  • Pain or jaw weakness when chewing
  • Grinding of the teeth (bruxism)
  • Stiffness or pain in the face, neck, shoulders, or back
  • Numbness in hands
  • Restlessness and difficulty sleeping
  • Depression

If you have any of the above symptoms, and you suspect it may be a sign of TMJ disfunction, contact Brenham Dental Center to schedule a consultation today.

 

TMJ Treatment

TMJ disfunction can have a number of causes, including jaw misalignment, unbalanced muscles, and trauma to the head or jaw due to whiplash or similar injuries. TMJ treatment can vary according to the causes of each particular case, which is why it is important to seek the advice of a knowledgeable dentist. The initial step in TMJ treatment is a thorough examination, which includes an extensive review of each patient's medical and dental history, an evaluation to check the range of jaw motion and digital x-rays. Once we properly diagnose the cause of the TMJ disorder, we can then proceed with creating a treatment plan designed to alleviate the problem. Depending on the severity of the disorder, treatment can involve several phases; the first goal is to restore a normal range of motion to the jaw, alleviate pain, and relieve any muscle spasms. Once this has been achieved, the next step is to correct and stabilize the bite, usually through the use of an occlusal bite splint, a custom-fitted, removable dental appliance that fits over the teeth and is usually worn at night. In more severe cases, bite correction may involve reshaping of selected teeth using crowns or orthodontics; in a small number of extreme cases, surgery may be required to correct damaged joints. However, we emphasize conservative, non-surgical TMJ treatment in the majority of cases, and have helped many patients from regain normal jaw function without the need for surgical treatment.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder which is characterized by interruptions of the normal breathing cycle during periods of sleep. These interruptions can sometimes occur hundreds of times during a night's sleep and can last up to a minute or more. Sleep apnea is a common condition, affecting over 12 million Americans. Those most commonly affected by sleep apnea include individuals who are:

  • Of male gender
  • Obese
  • Over forty years of age
  • Users of alcohol

However, sleep apnea can and does affect many other people as well, including women, children, and people of average weight. Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause cardiovascular difficulties, headaches, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, impotence, or weight gain; in severe cases, this condition can be potentially life-threatening and lead to irregular heartbeat, heart attack, or stroke. There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and mixed sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea indicates that the lungs are functioning normally, but no oxygen is getting into the system due to an obstruction in the upper airway. In central sleep apnea, the upper airway is open but the brain's respiratory control centers are not stimulating the lungs and diaphragm properly during sleep; mixed sleep apnea combines symptoms of both obstructive and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is by far the most common form of sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

At Brenham Dental Center, we provide obstructive sleep apnea treatment for patients by creating removable oral appliances, or splints, which are worn by sleep apnea sufferers at night to help ensure that the upper airway stays open. With these custom-tailored appliances, we can successfully treat most mild to moderate cases of obstructive sleep apnea without the necessity for surgical treatment. These appliances have also been shown to be highly effective at reducing snoring.

To find out whether you are a candidate for sleep apnea treatment at our clinic, make an appointment at Brenham Dental Center today.