Emergency Dentist Near Me

Accidents don’t happen at convenient times of the day. They happen at all hours, day or night, and often demand immediate attention. Often though the dental emergency can be treated at home until the dentist can see you the next day. Let’s look at some common dental emergencies and you’ll see the difference and how broad the term emergency can indeed be.

Common Dental Emergencies

A Toothache- yes, this is the number one complaint leading to an emergent situation. The pain can build and become overwhelming literally making it impossible for you to sleep and eat. Call your family dental practice. They will walk you through some questions and give you some tips to determine the severity of the condition. If over the counter pain relievers don’t take care of the pain than you can consider it a dental emergency. You will begin with an ice pack on the outside of your mouth near the sore tooth. They will ask you to rinse your mouth with warm salt water and to brush and floss to make sure no food is lodged near the sore tooth. The toothache may be the result of an abscess or infection or serious decay irritating nerves.

Cracked or Broken Tooth- You can do this while eating or playing a physical sport so you should get an appointment as soon as possible. Save any pieces possible in a cup of milk to see if the dentist can use them again. Stop any bleeding and use a cold compress to minimize swelling.

A Knocked-out Tooth- a traumatic event, try to save the tooth and try to get to a dentist within the hour. It is possible for the dentist to re-insert the tooth into the socket and save it. Make sure the tooth is clean and do your best to push it back into the socket. This is the best place for it as you head to the dentist. Otherwise store it in a cup of milk to get to the dentist. If reinserted and stabilized the tooth has a chance to fuse to the jawbone again.

Lost Filling or Lost Crown- in either case it is not usually emergent, but you can be seen within a few days or sometimes even at your next appointment.

A Dental Abscess- an infection that occurs on the root of the tooth these can create intense pain. It would be best to be seen as soon as possible for this problem. It may result in an immediate root canal procedure to alleviate the discomfort.

Finding an Emergency Dentist

Start with your family practice. If they cannot help you, they will give you directions on whom to see and where. An emergency room visit may be necessary, but a dental office is preferred. From the year 2000 to 2010 the number of dental emergency visits to a hospital emergency room doubled from a little over one million. Consider having a plan in place with your family dentist so you know what to do in response to an accident or a midnight toothache.

More on Dental Emergencies : What is a Dental Emergency?