Dental emergencies never happen at a convenient time. A fall, a hard bite on the wrong thing, a sports elbow — and suddenly you're holding a piece of your tooth wondering what to do. The good news: how you handle the first hour often makes a real difference, and many of these situations are more fixable than they feel in the moment.

Here's a calm, practical guide.

If you chipped or broke a tooth

Rinse your mouth gently with warm water. If there's bleeding, press a clean piece of gauze on the area. Swelling responds well to a cold compress on the outside of your cheek. If you can find the broken piece, keep it — sometimes it can be reattached. Then call us. A chip may not hurt much, but a crack can expose the inner tooth, so it's worth having looked at promptly rather than waiting.

If a tooth got knocked out completely

This is the true time-sensitive one. Pick the tooth up by the crown — the part you normally see — not the root. If it's dirty, rinse it very briefly with water without scrubbing it. If you can, gently place it back in the socket and hold it there. If that's not possible, tuck it inside your cheek or drop it in a cup of milk to keep it moist. Then get to a dentist as fast as you can. A knocked-out tooth has its best chance of being saved when it's treated quickly.

If it's a bad toothache, not an injury

Rinse with warm water, floss gently to remove anything trapped, and avoid placing aspirin directly on the gum. A throbbing tooth usually signals something that won't resolve on its own, so call us to be seen.

What not to do

Don't ignore it because the pain faded — pain going away doesn't always mean the problem did. And don't wait days hoping it settles; early treatment is almost always simpler and less expensive.

We're here when it happens

Habibi Smiles offers emergency dental care for patients in Richardson and the surrounding area. If you're dealing with a chipped, broken, or knocked-out tooth right now, don't wait it out — call us and we'll get you seen.