Help! I’m In Pain!
Whether its excruciating pain brought about by neglecting a cavity which has become a root canal, or a severe tooth ache causing you to double over in pain as a result of a filling that has suddenly gone missing…we’ve all had to deal with them at one time or another, and many of us more than once. The dreaded dental emergency!
Like all health related emergencies, dental emergencies don’t wait for a convenient time to happen. In fact, more times than not, the exact opposite is true. In addition, in most cases the individual isn’t exactly sure what’s going on. “Do I have an abscess?” “Do I need a root canal?” “Do I need a tooth extracted?” “Do I need a filling?”Etc. That’s why dentists set aside time during their day for emergency procedures and provide after hour and weekend emergency contact information. In the most severe of cases, your dentist may very well schedule an after-hour emergency procedure.
Most dental emergencies, however, can be addressed by your dentist during regularly scheduled business hours. They include a broken or cracked tooth, a laceration inside the mouth, a missing tooth or one that has just recently been knocked out, severe canker sores requiring treatment and medications, a root canal, replacement of a permanent filling, an abscess tooth not interfering with breathing, and reimplantation among other.
Basically, any dental problem that requires immediate treatment in order to save a tooth, stop ongoing tissue bleeding, or alleviate severe pain is considered a dental emergency.
It is critically important however that you also recognize dental emergencies or traumas involving the face or mouth that require you to contact the EMS or leave immediately for the local hospital. They may include jaw fractures and dislocations, severe lacerations to the face and mouth or an abscess or infection impacting breathing or swallowing.
Unfortunately, in today’s fast paced environment, dental emergencies are all too common. But many dental emergencies can be avoided by having routine checkups with your dentist to ensure that your mouth, teeth and gums are free from decay.
If you experience a dental emergency, please contact us immediately. We are can generally accommodate seeing you the same day, and also have an after-hours emergency dental line that you can call.
