Skip main navigation

Military Health System

Clear Your Cache

Health.mil has undergone a recent update. For the best user experience we recommend clearing your browser cache.

TRICARE Tips to Protect Your Teeth in a Dental Emergency

Image of TRICARE Tips to Protect Your Teeth in a Dental Emergency. The TRICARE Dental Program covers emergency dental care. TRICARE Dental Program enrollees pay no cost-share for emergency dental services regardless of pay grade or location.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – When it comes to medical emergencies, your dental health may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But dental emergencies do happen, and they can happen anywhere, at any time.

Fortunately, the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) covers emergency dental care. As noted in the TRICARE Dental Program Handbook, you’ll pay no cost-share for emergency dental services regardless of your pay grade or location. But there are still steps you may need to take to ensure your teeth and gums stay protected. Remember, the most important step in any dental emergency is to get to a dentist as soon as possible.

“In any emergency, it’s important to act quickly,” said Doug Elsesser, program analyst with the Defense Health Agency’s TRICARE Dental Program. “With a bit of preparation and knowledge, you may be able to keep the damage to a minimum.”

Preparing for a dental emergency

If an emergency does happen, it’s important to find a dentist right away. Remember to always keep your dentist’s contact information with you so you’re ready if an emergency arises.

You can also prepare a dental emergency kit to help you deal with pain, bleeding, and other problems until you can see a dentist. This kit should contain items such as:

  • Cotton balls and swabs
  • Dental floss
  • Dental mirror
  • Latex gloves or vinyl gloves
  • Salt
  • Cold compress

Identifying a dental emergency

Wondering what may be considered a dental emergency? These symptoms may require emergency care:

  • Bleeding in the mouth or gums that doesn’t stop
  • Painful swelling in or around your mouth
  • Pain in a tooth, teeth, or jawbone
  • Gum infection with pain or swelling
  • After surgery treatment (dressing change, stitch removal)
  • Broken or knocked out tooth
  • Denture adjustment for people receiving radiation or other treatment for cancer
  • Snipping or adjusting wire of braces that hurts your cheek or gums
  • Biopsy of abnormal tissue

Remember, you’ll need to contact a dentist first to identify a true emergency. If you don’t have a regular dentist, you can use the Find a Dentist tool.

Responding to a dental emergency

Contacting your dentist is key, but there are other steps you can take if something serious happens to one of your teeth.

If you have a cracked or broken tooth, you should rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area surrounding the affected tooth. Then, apply a cold compress to reduce swelling.

If your tooth is knocked out, take the following steps to protect it until you reach the dentist:

  • Recover the tooth, if possible.
  • Hold it by the top, not the root, and gently rinse the root of the tooth with water, milk, or a saline solution. Don’t scrub it or remove attached tissue.
  • In some cases, you can temporarily put it back in the empty socket. Otherwise, place the tooth in a container of milk or saline solution. Don’t put it in water.

In the event of a dental emergency, remember to keep calm and use these tips to help you prepare, identify, and respond.

Looking for more dental health tips and information about your TDP benefits? Check out the latest TRICARE Dental Program Health Matters Newsletter.

Would you like the latest TRICARE news sent to you by email? Visit TRICARE Subscriptions, and create your personalized profile to get benefit updates, news, and more.

You also may be interested in...

Article
Dec 23, 2024

Preview Four Changes Coming to TRICARE in 2025

Preview Four Changes Coming to TRICARE in 2025

With the end of the year approaching, it’s a good time to consider your family’s healthcare needs for the coming year. As you think about things like scheduling preventive care visits and knowing your 2025 TRICARE costs, you should also note some changes coming to TRICARE in 2025.

Article
Sep 27, 2024

Finding the Right TRICARE Dental Program Dentist After Moving

Finding the Right TRICARE Dental Program Dentist After Moving

Relocating can be an exciting, but stressful, time. Worrying about your family’s dental needs shouldn’t be part of that stress. Here’s a guide to help you find a dentist and understand the advantages of choosing a network provider with the TDP.

Article
Jul 3, 2024

TRICARE Tips for Managing Diabetes and Your Oral Health

TRICARE Tips for Managing Diabetes and Your Oral Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 38 million American adults currently have diabetes. Even though diabetes is common, many people don’t know about its connection to oral health.

Article
Oct 23, 2023

DHA Awards TRICARE Dental Program Contract

DHA Media Advisory

The Defense Health Agency announced today the award of the sixth generation of the TRICARE Dental Program contract. The new TRICARE Dental Program contract will go into effect Dec. 1, 2024. The new contract will provide private sector dental care to active duty family members, eligible National Guard and Reservists, and active duty services members ...

Article
Sep 26, 2023

TRICARE Dental Program Is Your Ally in the Fight Against Oral Cancer

TRICARE Dental Program Is Your Ally in the Fight Against Oral Cancer

According to the National Institutes of Health, health care providers diagnose about 54,000 new cases of oral cancer per year in the United States. As with all types of cancer, education and early detection are critical. Learn how to spot the warning signs of oral cancer before the disease can spread.

Article
Sep 20, 2023

TRICARE Q&A: Getting Care With Active Duty Dental Program

Dentist performs an exam

Most active duty service members get dental care at military dental clinics, also known as military dental treatment facilities (DTFs). However, some care can’t be completed at a DTF. In these cases, you get care from civilian dentists through the Active Duty Dental Program.

Article
Jun 2, 2022

Could a Therapy Dog Help with Your Dental Anxiety?

Air Force Brig. Gen. Goldie, a facility therapy dog at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, helps reduce anxiety in a patient with complex dental conditions that require multiple appointments. The use of therapy dogs is part of an ongoing study with these patients.

A first-of-its-kind study at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is researching whether using facility therapy dogs in dentists’ offices could reduce patient anxiety and improve outcomes for military dental treatment programs.

Skip subpage navigation
Refine your search
Last Updated: September 11, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery