Picture this. You wake up with a toothache. But it’s not just any tooth pain that’s plaguing you. This type of pain is excruciating and severe enough to be considered a dental emergency. You know you need immediate help of dental emergency services and that’s where we come in.
At Vaksman Dental Group, we know that emergency dental care is hard to find. We also know that you shouldn’t have to suffer just because your dental emergency happened at the wrong time. We specialize in providing the ultimate care for your dental emergency, no matter how big the problem is. Read on to learn more about our services and how we can help you.
Emergency Dentist in South San Francisco CA
We are conveniently located next public transportation (BART) and have ample parking.
Our staff consists of professionally trained and caring dental experts who are standing by to help you through your dental troubles. We are led by our founding dentist, Dr. Irena Vaksman. DDS. Dr. Vaksman has assembled a top-tier clinical staff associate dentists, hygienists, and assistants. The clinical staff is supported by a front office team that will make you feel warm and welcome when you call with a dental emergency. They will also help with any financial arrangements.
What Is A Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency can be hard to define. After all, pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Therefore, all tooth pain merits medical attention. The question is how soon should you seek help? From a medical professional’s standpoint, a dental emergency is one that requires immediate attention to save a tooth or deal with severe pain. This occurs if you have an infection or abscess and need immediate help to control excessive or life-threatening bleeding. A broken or cracked tooth would also fall into the category of a dental emergency.
Research shows that children are prone to visiting the dentist for the first time due to an emergency. A 2012 study evaluated records from 270 patients who visited an emergency dental service in 2010. Pain was the number one reason for an emergency visit among 208 children. Approximately 79 percent of the emergency visits were because of caries (i.e., dental cavity) and 31.22 percent were due to treatment that was required for endodontic intervention (i.e., root canals). The study also indicated that the children who were brought in for emergency treatment had pain that started long before the emergency but was given over-the-counter medications instead of being taken to a dentist for proper care (1).
What Kinds Of Conditions Are Considered Dental Emergencies?
While it’s always best to see your dentist regularly to avoid emergency situations, we realize that some dental emergencies are unavoidable. We’ve put together some guidelines to help you determine what conditions and symptoms merit an emergency dental vision.
- Extreme pain
Pain is often the number one reason why people seek dental treatment. If your pain is so severe that it cannot wait, or if you’ve tried to take over-the-counter medications that don’t worry, then your pain would be considered a medical emergency. Seek treatment immediately if the pain has expanded from your mouth to other areas of your face. - Excessive bleeding
Excessive bleeding that cannot be controlled at home qualifies as a dental emergency. If you are bleeding uncontrollably from your mouth or tooth, contact us immediately or call 911. - A loose tooth (as an adult)
Adults should not lose their teeth. Therefore, if you have a loose tooth and it feels infected or is causing pain, then you may want to seek emergency treatment. - An infection or abscess
An infection or abscess in your mouth is dangerous because the location is so closely located near the brain and can worsen or rapidly. We recommend seeking treatment as soon as you detect an infection. Watch out for symptoms that include swelling of the face or gums. - A cracked or chipped tooth
Aside from being painful, a cracked or chipped tooth may cause excessive bleeding or may lead to an infection. Seek treatment right away if you notice a cracked or chipped tooth. In some cases, emergency dental surgery may be required to fix a cracked or chipped tooth.
Questions To Ask Yourself If You Think You Have A Dental Emergency
If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, then you may have a dental emergency:
- Are you bleeding excessively from the mouth or tooth?
- Are you in excruciating pain that radiates from the mouth or tooth?
- Do you have a chipped or cracked tooth?
- Is there any knots, bulges or swelling in your gums, teeth or mouth?
- Did you recently suffer from a direct hit or injury to your mouth or face?
- Do you have any loose teeth (as an adult?)
Symptoms & What They Could Mean
If you have excessive pain, it could be a sign of an infection or abscess. This is especially true if your pain is accompanied by swelling of the gums or face. Some common symptoms of an infection or abscess include:
- Extreme pain caused by hot or cold foods
- Pain in your mouth when you breathe in and out
- Pain when biting down
- Pain that radiates from your mouth to other areas of your face
In some cases, pain or bleeding might be caused by losing a crown or cap. If the pain and bleeding become severe, call us immediately. If this happens after hours, we recommend that you monitor the pain and bleeding. This will eventually need to be replaced.
What To Expect From Vaksman Dental Group
In addition to symptom relief, research shows that patients who seek emergency dental services also want to receive psychological support (2). In other words, they want to be reassured and informed about their condition and know that it’s not as dangerous as they think.
Here at Vaksman Dental Group, we guarantee that our experienced and sensitive staff will provide you with all of the information and care necessary to treat your condition or symptoms. We understand that emergencies happen and will never make you feel unwanted or embarrassed about your needs!
