Emergency Dental Service the Complete Guide
We have all been there. In the middle of the night, we are searching for the nearest emergency dentist. Emergency dental services can be the difference between getting a good night’s sleep or feeling awful for days.
It can also be difficult to tell the difference between some light toothache and something more serious that needs a visit to your local emergency dentist.
You need a dentist that has the ability to fit in same-day emergency dental appointments, like Grand Parkway Smiles Dentist, Katy, Texas.
Here are a few signs of emergency dental care:
Severe toothache
From time to time, your tooth might ache a little after having something too sweet or hot and cold drinks. However, the severity of the toothache can hint that there is something worse going on. A severe toothache can stop you from managing your day-to-day life; it will impact your sleep too. Although ideally, we all want to avoid getting a toothache, sometimes it happens.
Treatment from your emergency dentist will depend on the reason behind your severe toothache is. To find your nearest emergency dentist for a severe toothache, all you’ll need to do is google dentist near me.
Abscess
Early signs of an abscess are often ignored by people. Hoping that they will go away by themselves. An abscessed tooth can grow to be a very painful infection that impacts your ability to chew and can lead to serious gum disease if left untreated.
The signs of an abscess are a foul taste and smell in the mouth, pus, a fever, a visible lump in the gums. These are the typical signs of an infection. Your emergency dentist will need to assess the abscess immediately, and you may require some form of light dental surgery to drain the abscess and either a root canal or tooth extraction possibly followed by a dental implant.
Follow-up treatment will be required in most cases too. If you think you may have an abscess, then you should contact the emergency dentist now.
Jaw Pain
Many people have a tense jaw that can be caused by stress, and this is something that you can discuss with your dentist. There are occasions where your jaw can become swollen and painful too. There are some jaw infections that are serious, and here are some of the signs of a jaw infection that needs immediate emergency dental care:
- Fever
- Trouble breathing
- Strong bad taste in your mouth
These can be a sign of saliva gland blockage. This blockage will prevent your saliva from doing the job properly. This infection is not the most common, but you should contact your nearest emergency dentist.
Loose or Lost Tooth
Most people might experience some slight movement in their teeth. However, typically, an adult shouldn’t have any loose or wobbly teeth. Mature teeth are sturdy and well placed within the mouth to help you speak, eat, and live a regular life.
Loose teeth are a sign of gum issues and/or damage. They can also be a sign that there is some localized infection.
If a tooth has been lost during sports or an accident, it is vital that you get your gams checked by an emergency dentist. There may be nerve, jaw, and other damage that isn’t immediately noticeable.
For your emergency dental care, you might have an oral exam and a range of X-rays to locate the issue. Ensuring that you contact the emergency dentist quickly will help prevent the spread of the infection and can help save your natural teeth.
While that list is not exhaustive, it is important that you know when you should contact your emergency dentist.
Cracked or Chipped Tooth
You may think that a chipped or cracked tooth is less important than tooth loss. However, when left for too long, a chipped or cracked tooth can lead to more serious concerns. A cracked or chipped tooth can be mended with reasonable speed and minimal discomfort too. Your emergency dentist can mend a tooth with even a tiny crack. Any chip or crack can let in bacteria and lead to more serious issues.
Why is emergency dentistry important?
Emergency dentistry can be the difference between multiple extractions, extreme pain, and a happy smile.
If you are in an accident, suffer an injury or suddenly find yourself in severe pain caused by your teeth – it is a good idea to know where your nearest emergency dentist is.
Tooth loss becomes more than just an issue of the lost tooth. It can lead to other teeth moving, facial collapse, issues with flossing and brushing, and problems talking and chewing.
An emergency dentist number is something you should have in your phone contacts.
Emergency dentistry is not just for the risk of tooth loss. There are many other situations where emergency dentists are required.
If you have a filling and it comes loose, cracks, or is otherwise damaged. An emergency dentist should be your first call. A person who wears braces might find themselves with snapped wires or damage; it is imperative that the brace is fixed with speed.
Your emergency dentist will quickly reduce your pain and repair the issues with speed.
There are occasions where people make the mistake of going to the emergency room rather than heading to the emergency dentist.
While the hospital is the logical place for many people who see blood from their mouth and are in pain, an emergency dentist is a specialist and is prepared for these situations.
Common Emergency Dental Procedures
There are some emergency dental procedures that are more common than others. Even when you look after your teeth as requested, from time to time, you might have issues.
Children miss school, and adults miss work because they try to wait out the pain rather than getting the issue fixed properly. As many people don’t know if their dental issues is an emergency, this can lead to making dental issues more complicated.
This wait and see method can lead to some expensive dental work at a later date.
Knocked-out Tooth
Getting your tooth knocked-out is painful when it happens and causes a lot of trauma to the gums, lips, cheeks, and more. The first thing you have to do when you have a tooth knocked out is to call your emergency dentist. If you have a tooth, try not to handle it. If there is a top of the tooth or a crown, only handle the tooth by that part. Leave the roots alone, and do not attempt to rinse the tooth unless requested to do so by the emergency dentist.
Broken or Cracked Tooth
When you have trauma to the jaw and mouth, you may notice a chipped or broken tooth. It is important that you ice the area quickly to avoid excessive swelling. When you call your emergency dentist, they may request you carefully swill your mouth with water. Follow the instructions carefully.
Depending on the severity of the broken or cracked tooth, you may need an emergency filling or an emergency root canal.
Temporary Crown Missing
Often the trick is to catch the dental crown before you accidentally swallow it. As soon as you notice that your temporary crown has become dislodged, you should call your dentist and ask them for some advice. Your tooth will become increasingly sensitive over time, and you may also suffer from some pain.
Your emergency dentist can take the necessary steps to either reattach the crown or find a solution that protects your tooth.
Jaw Pain
With any type of jaw issue, the application of a cold pack or ice is important. This will prevent much swelling and help to keep the pain reduced too. If you put off this call to the emergency dentist, you will likely have increasing pain, inability to eat, and more expensive and extensive work when you do make an appointment.
Anything to do with the jaw is always an emergency that you should contact your dentist for.
Post Surgery Complications
When you have a tooth surgically removed, root canal, or another dental procedure, there can be occasions where the area becomes infected. Here are some signs that you have post-dental surgery complications and should visit an emergency dentist. This will vary depending on which dental surgery you have had:
Tooth extraction complications:
- Swelling and severe pain in the jaw
- Infection
- Dry socket
- Damage to teeth next to the extraction site
- Retained tooth fragments
Jaw surgery complications:
- Infection at the site
- Nerve damage
- Reaction to anesthesia
- TMJ
- Tooth damage
Dental implant complications:
- Nerve damage
- Damage to adjoining teeth
- Infection
Although most of these complications can happen, it is important that you follow the instructions of your dentist. Simple things like not eating for the specified amount of time, resting, and not using straws can really improve the chances of a complication-free dental recovery. However, if you do feel that you are suffering from a complication, you should contact an emergency dentist immediately.
Patient-Centric Emergency Dental Care
Grand Parkway Smiles Dentistry takes a patient-centric approach to the care that we provide. We know that in the middle of an emergency, the patient and their family and friends can be very worried about them. Certainly, if they are in distress and severe pain, this upset can be heightened. A patient-centric approach means that we put the needs of the patient first during any emergency treats.
Same-day emergency care is one of the key ways that we can ensure that those registered with us and those who don’t have access to a high standard of dental care in Katy, Texas.
You might wonder – what is patient-centric care? It is a relationship between the dentistry team and the patient. Working together with a hygienist, cosmetic dentist, dentist, and more and putting the patient at the heart of the care.
Each patient is unique. The care that each dental patient requires is unique. For example, some patients have a lot of anxiety based around dentists. And they will need a slower, more gentle approach to their dental care. Some patients like to get down to business and understand their full set of options, then go away and make a decision.
The traditional model of dentistry usually simply diagnoses the problem, offers a single solution, and awaits a response from the dental patient. Patient-centric dental care completely changes the relationship. And it will give dental patience more autonomy and understanding of their treatment options.
Specifically, when it comes to emergency dental care, time is usually of the essence. Due to the patient-centric dental care, we can efficiently and effectively let an emergency dental patient understand all of their options, as well as let them know which is the best option for immediate treatment.
Patient-centric dentistry means that the patient is an active participant in all of the conversations based on everything from exam processes to creating a plan of long-term dental care.
Reducing Emergency Dental Care Fear
Unfortunately, many people are still put off emergency dental care due to having a fear of the dentist. Unfortunately, when left un checked, relatively small problems can turn into a more expensive and more painful problem. If you choose to wait until you can’t bear the pain any longer, you are much more likely to have a more difficult experience.
One of the keys to having a reduced fear of emergency dental care is when speaking to your emergency dentist, make sure you are honest about any worries that you have.
Dentists are used to dealing with people who have some type of phobia, and their main goal is always to ensure that you get the treatment that you need quickly.
So don’t put off that nagging jaw pain or getting that cracked tooth taken care of anymore. Book an appointment with your friendly local emergency dentist today. Grand Parkway Smiles Cosmetic Dentistry is happy to take your call, and discuss any issues that you have with facial abscesses, knocked out teeth, fractured or broken teeth, and even a missing crown. We can take care of emergency dental issues on the same day.