Port Jefferson Station
Emergency Dentistry

Our team at Smile Shack is committed to providing you the best possible dental care—even when the unexpected happens. If you have a dental emergency, call our office and we will give immediate attention to your situation. We’ll make every effort to see you as soon as possible to ensure you get the care you need.

During times when our office is closed, give us a call and listen to the recorded message. We will return your call as soon as we are able. If you’re dealing with a serious or life-threatening situation, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room for treatment.

The best thing you can do when you have a dental emergency is to call our office right away. We’ll set up an appointment for you and provide you with advice on how to manage the situation at home in the meantime. 

Dental emergencies are situations in which you’re experiencing unbearable pain, uncontrolled bleeding, or your tooth needs immediate care in order to be saved. Broken crowns or bridges and loose dental implants may or may not be dental emergencies too, depending on the circumstances. If you’re not sure whether you need urgent care, call our office and we can provide you with assistance.

If your dental emergency involves severe bleeding or facial trauma, you should go to the emergency room first, then get the dental care you need later. In the case of pain, if our office is open, your best bet is to come in for an emergency dental appointment. If you go to the emergency room with a toothache, they can prescribe antibiotics if you have an infection and help manage the pain, but you’ll still need dental care to treat the underlying problem.

Signs of a tooth infection include a small, pimple-like bump on the gums near the painful tooth, a persistent, throbbing toothache, swollen lymph nodes, and a foul taste or smell in your mouth. Tooth infections require urgent dental care, as the infection can easily spread to the soft tissues and bone that supports your teeth, and even other parts of your body.

Yes, teeth that have been knocked out can be put back in, but in order for this to be successful, it’s important to take quick action. Call our office right away for an appointment. When handling your tooth, only touch the crown—never touch the root, as doing so can make it harder for your gums to reattach. Rinse the tooth gently with milk, saliva, or water, then try to push it back into the socket. If you can’t do this, place the tooth in a small cup of milk or saliva and bring it to your appointment so we can put it back into the socket for you. During your appointment, we’ll also stabilize the tooth to promote gum reattachment.

If you can put the tooth back into the socket within five minutes, the tooth will likely survive. As long as the tooth is stored in milk or saliva, the survival rate is still good up to an hour after the tooth has been knocked out. After an hour, the chances of being able to successfully reinsert your tooth are much lower, which is why prompt treatment is necessary.