Comprehensive Dental Checklist
by Specialty
ADA-aligned • Clinically exhaustive • Emergency & preparedness protocols for every dental specialty.
McKinsey-grade design • Print-ready • Instant branded PDF download.
Routine cleanings, fillings, preventive care — the foundation of lifelong oral health. Emergency protocols for common issues.
- Loose or lost filling — rinse with warm salt water, cover sharp edge with sugar-free gum, see dentist same day
- Chipped tooth without pain — save fragment in milk, avoid chewing on that side, schedule within 48 hours
- Sensitivity to hot/cold/sweets lasting >30 seconds — indicates possible decay, book evaluation
- Food impaction causing gum swelling — gentle flossing + warm salt rinse, monitor 24 hours
- Broken cusp on molar — apply dental wax if sharp, avoid hard foods, urgent visit required
- Recurring bad breath despite hygiene — may signal decay or infection, professional cleaning needed
- Stained or discolored tooth — note for cosmetic discussion but rule out internal issues first
- General tooth mobility without trauma — possible periodontal involvement, prompt x-ray required
Children & adolescents (behavior management, sedation). Never re-implant baby teeth. Aspirin is contraindicated.
- Knocked-out baby tooth — do NOT reinsert; rinse mouth, cold compress, same-day pediatric visit
- Knocked-out permanent tooth (child/teen) — follow adult avulsion protocol, reinsert if cooperative
- Severe toothache in child — warm salt rinse, child-dose ibuprofen or acetaminophen, same-day care
- Facial swelling with fever — possible abscess, call 911 if breathing affected, immediate pediatric dentist
- Broken primary tooth with pain — save fragment, cold compress, urgent evaluation to protect bud
- Object stuck between teeth — gentle flossing only, no tools, professional removal if stuck
- Trauma to lip/tongue — apply pressure with gauze 10–15 min, monitor for infection
- Behavioral emergency (panic during pain) — calm environment, nitrous/sedation options discussed
Braces, Invisalign, jaw alignment — emergency management of appliance issues and trauma during treatment.
- Poking wire — use wax provided by orthodontist or sugar-free gum to cover, call office
- Loose bracket — leave in place if attached by wire, use wax, avoid hard foods
- Broken Invisalign aligner — switch to previous tray if possible, contact orthodontist same day
- Trauma to braces — remove any loose parts carefully, save, immediate evaluation
- Jaw pain during alignment — soft diet, ibuprofen, cold compress 10 min on/off
- Elastics snapped — replace with new set from kit, do not skip
- Swollen gums around braces — warm salt rinses 4x daily, professional cleaning
Gums, bone, periodontal surgery — rapid response to infection and recession emergencies.
- Sudden gum swelling/abscess — warm salt rinse, ibuprofen, same-day periodontist
- Receding gums with exposed root sensitivity — avoid acidic foods, desensitizing paste
- Loose tooth due to bone loss — soft diet, no probing, immediate evaluation
- Post-surgical bleeding — direct pressure with gauze 15 min, no aspirin
- Persistent bad taste from pocket — antimicrobial rinse, professional debridement
- Deep pocket bleeding during brushing — warm salt rinse, professional scaling ASAP
- Exposed root hypersensitivity — desensitizing toothpaste, avoid brushing hard
- Foul taste or odor from deep pockets — chlorhexidine rinse, urgent cleaning
Root canals, pulp therapy — management of irreversible pulpitis and abscesses.
- Severe throbbing toothache — warm salt rinse, ibuprofen 600 mg, same-day root canal evaluation
- Swelling with pus tract — antibiotics only if systemic signs, immediate endodontist
- Tooth tender to percussion — possible pulp necrosis, urgent pulp testing needed
- Post-root canal flare-up — prescribed pain meds, cold compress, call office
- Cracked tooth with pulp exposure — temporary filling if possible, same-day RCT
- Internal resorption suspicion — radiographic evaluation urgent
- Failed root canal with recurrent abscess — retreatment or extraction planning
Extractions, trauma, jaw surgery, implants — bleeding and fracture protocols.
- Uncontrolled bleeding post-extraction — bite on moist tea bag 15 min, no spitting
- Knocked-out tooth (permanent) — reimplant within 30 min or store in milk/HBSS
- Jaw fracture suspicion — stabilize with bandage, ice, ER if airway issue
- Post-op dry socket — severe pain 2–4 days later, return immediately
- Post-extraction swelling peaking day 2-3 — ice then warm, no straws
- Numbness persisting >24 hrs — possible nerve injury, contact surgeon
- Stitch comes loose — gentle rinse, no pulling, office visit if bleeding
Crowns, bridges, dentures, full-mouth reconstruction — loose prosthesis emergencies.
- Loose crown — remove if easy, store in milk, temporary cement kit if available
- Broken denture — save pieces, avoid glue, same-day repair
- Bridge comes off — clean area, temporary cement, no chewing
- Loose bridge causing food trap — clean gently, temporary cement if needed
- Denture ulcer from ill-fit — remove at night, use adhesive sparingly, reline consult
- Full mouth rehab sensitivity — soft diet, desensitizer, follow up
- Implant supported denture rocking — check attachments, same-day adjustment
Veneers, whitening, smile design — post-procedure sensitivity and veneer emergencies.
- Veneer falls off — store in milk or dry container, avoid biting, same-day re-cement
- Extreme sensitivity after whitening — desensitizing gel, stop treatment, contact office
- Chipped veneer edge — cover with wax, cosmetic repair needed
- Post-veneer bite high — return for occlusal adjustment
- Whitening sensitivity lasting >48 hrs — stop and use potassium nitrate gel
- Composite bonding chipped — wax cover, cosmetic repair
- Gum contouring post-laser bleed — pressure, follow post-op instructions
Need the full checklist in your pocket?
McKinsey-style layout • ADA sources cited • Ready for wallet / glovebox
Urgent pain, trauma, abscesses, 24/7 care. Direct from the official Sarasota Emergency Dental Checklist.
- Knocked-out (avulsed) tooth — hold by crown, rinse gently, reinsert or store in milk/HBSS, seek care within 30–60 min (ADA)
- Uncontrolled bleeding — gauze or tea bag pressure 10–15 min, cold compress, no aspirin
- Severe toothache or abscess — warm salt rinse, ibuprofen, same-day visit, antibiotics only if systemic signs
- Broken or cracked tooth — save fragment in milk, cold compress, cover sharp edge with wax
- Pediatric avulsion (baby tooth) — do NOT reinsert, cold compress, pediatric dentist immediately
- Object lodged in gum — do not force, dental floss or professional removal
- Facial trauma with tooth displacement — stabilize jaw, ER if concussion suspected
Surgical placement & restoration of implants — post-op and failure protocols.
- Implant site bleeding — direct pressure 15 min, no rinsing first 24 hrs
- Loose implant crown — do not force, temporary cement, call surgeon
- Peri-implant swelling with pus — immediate evaluation for infection
- Post-surgical pain increasing after day 3 — possible dry socket or infection
- Implant mobility early — possible failure, immediate surgeon evaluation
- Peri-implantitis with bone loss — antibiotics + debridement, possible graft
- Abutment screw loose — do not chew, return for torque check
Nitrous, oral, IV sedation for anxious patients — pre- and post-sedation safety checklist.
- Pre-sedation: no food 6 hrs (IV), arrange driver, list all medications
- Post-sedation dizziness — rest, hydrate, no driving 24 hrs
- Nausea after nitrous — ginger tea, rest in reclined position
- Allergic reaction to sedation meds — stop, Benadryl if mild, ER if severe
- Prolonged sedation recovery — hydrate, monitor vitals, contact provider
- IV site swelling — cold compress, elevate arm
- Pre-sedation anxiety escalation — breathing techniques, reschedule if needed
Seniors, denture care, medically complex patients — polypharmacy and xerostomia protocols.
- Denture sore spots — remove denture, rinse with salt water, denture adhesive adjustment
- Dry mouth causing ulcers — Biotene products, frequent water sips
- Medication-induced bleeding — coordinate with physician, avoid aspirin
- Root caries in seniors — high fluoride, soft brush technique
- Denture stomatitis — antifungal if indicated, clean denture nightly
- Polypharmacy dry mouth — sugar-free lozenges, saliva substitutes
- Falls risk with loose dentures — ensure secure fit
Patients with disabilities or medical conditions — adaptive behavior and sedation strategies.
- Behavioral distress during pain — quiet environment, weighted blanket if tolerated, sedation consult
- Communication barrier — visual aids or caregiver present, pre-visit desensitization
- Medical complexity — full medication list and physician clearance required
- Sensory overload during procedure — noise cancelling, dim lights if possible
- Post-op care for non-verbal — caregiver training on pain signs
- Wheelchair transfer for dental chair — use appropriate aids
- Seizure precaution during treatment — padded environment
Complex fillings, inlays/onlays — post-restorative sensitivity and failure checklist.
- High bite after filling — return same day for adjustment
- Fractured composite — cover with wax, avoid chewing
- Post-op sensitivity >2 weeks — possible pulp involvement, endodontic consult
- Onlay debonding — temporary cement, avoid hard foods
- Post inlay sensitivity to cold — possible crack, endo eval
- Recurrent decay under crown — x-ray, possible replacement
- Amalgam tattoo or allergy — note for replacement with composite
Hygiene, sealants, fluoride, education — daily wellness and early intervention checklist.
- Build home kit: soft brush, floss, fluoride rinse, tongue scraper
- Daily 2-minute brushing + flossing + tongue cleaning
- Sealants on permanent molars within 6 months of eruption
- Prescription high-fluoride toothpaste for high-risk patients
- High caries risk patient — xylitol gum, prescription fluoride
- Failed sealant — reapply immediately
- Plaque index high — professional polishing + education
Jaw joint disorders, headaches — acute lock and muscle spasm protocols.
- Jaw locked open/closed — soft diet, warm compress, muscle relaxant if prescribed
- Severe headache from clenching — nightguard, ibuprofen, avoid wide yawning
- Clicking with pain — ice 10 min, soft foods, urgent TMD evaluation
- Acute muscle spasm — moist heat, jaw relaxation exercises
- Disk displacement without reduction — soft diet, muscle relaxants
- Chronic headache referral — neurologist consult if dental cleared
- Nocturnal bruxism worsening — custom nightguard fabrication
Minimally invasive procedures using dental lasers for soft and hard tissue.
- Post-laser soft tissue procedure bleeding — gentle pressure, avoid aspirin
- Sensitivity after laser cavity preparation — desensitizing toothpaste 2 weeks
- Laser frenectomy post-op discomfort — soft diet, OTC pain relief
- Gum pigmentation removal aftercare — sunscreen on lips, no smoking
- Biopsy site care — keep clean, monitor for infection
- Laser-assisted periodontal therapy swelling — warm rinses, follow protocol
- Whitening with laser sensitivity — stop if severe, use gel
Oral appliances for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea management.
- Oral appliance loose or ill-fitting — adjust per instructions or return to dentist
- Jaw soreness from mandibular advancement device — warm compress, gradual use
- Dry mouth or excessive saliva — hydration, saliva substitutes
- Appliance causing TMJ pain — discontinue and consult for adjustment
- Snoring persists despite appliance — CPAP alternative or titration needed
- Apnea events not reduced — home sleep test follow-up
- Appliance cracked or broken — stop use, emergency replacement
- Gum irritation from device — soft liner or professional reline
Disclosure: This checklist is for educational purposes only and is based on current American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines (2020–2026). It is not a substitute for professional dental or medical advice. In a true emergency, call 911 immediately. Always consult a licensed dentist. Provided as a public service by the independent Sarasota Emergency Dental Network directory.