Emergency Dentist Near Me

In many cases, it can be challenging to determine what is an emergency and what is not. This is particularly true when it comes to dental emergencies. Before you begin looking for an emergency dentist who operates near you, first, you should try to assess whether your dental concern is, in fact, an emergency. A dental emergency is a dental concern that is urgent enough to necessitate immediate dental treatment. A tooth injury, such as a tooth being knocked out or cracked, is a common dental emergency. Other emergencies may include serious infections, called abscesses, that can worsen if not treated promptly. These abscesses may be exceedingly painful and may cause difficulty swallowing or difficulty breathing; depending on the severity of the abscess, this may be a good qualifier for emergency dental care. Dental emergencies don’t necessarily need to involve a person’s teeth, though; of tissue injury in the mouth may also be considered a dental emergency. If you have a bleeding injury to your tongue or lip, and if the bleeding doesn’t stop after cleaning the wound and assessing for a period of time, this also may be a dental emergency.

If you are experiencing what you believe to be a dental emergency, the first thing you should do is call your dentist’s office immediately. Many dentists set aside times during their normal work day to see emergency dental patients, so it’s possible that you’ll be able to get in to see your regular dentist on the same day as the emergency. If you’re away from home, you may want to find a qualified dentist in your area; you may be able to get in to see this dentist during their allotted emergency visit times. If, however, your dental emergency happens outside of normal business hours, as emergencies sometimes do, you should still call your dentist’s office. Even if it’s overnight or on a weekend, your dentist’s office may have a voicemail message that provides instructions on what to do in case of a dental emergency, and in some cases they may provide contact information for your local emergency dentist who’s on call outside traditional office hours. You can also use the American Dental Association’s online dentist locator tool, findadentist.ada.org, which allows you to search for dentists in your area, or you can call 1-800-DENTIST. As a last resort, some people experiencing dental emergencies choose to go to the emergency room. While this may provide help in the case of severe pain or infection, most hospital emergency rooms aren’t properly prepared to treat dental emergencies, and it is likely that you will only be provided stopgap pain relief or management. If you do choose to use the hospital emergency room, it’s important to follow up with your dentist to address the dental emergency itself, and not just treat the symptoms.

Once you have gotten in to see a dentist, they will determine what treatment option will work best for you, based on the type and severity of your dental emergency. If you have had a tooth knocked out, the dentist may try to reimplant the tooth. The sooner you are able to see a dentist after the injury, the more likely it is that they can reimplant the tooth. Emergency dentists may also use crowns or fillings to repair teeth that have been cracked or damaged, or they will extract the tooth, depending on the severity of the damage. Emergency dentists can also address infections or abscesses, usually by draining the tooth of infected fluid by making a small incision in the tooth, though sometimes a complete emergency root canal treatment is needed. In severe cases of abscess or infection, emergency dentists may evaluate and choose to extract the infected tooth if it cannot be repaired through root canal treatment.

Even if you have a dental concern that isn’t an emergency, like a cavity, it’s still important to seek prompt treatment. Especially if you are in any discomfort or feeling sensitivity in the teeth or gums, the more quickly you can address your concern, the better. It’s also important to remember that untreated cavities can lead to abscesses or infections, so the sooner you can treat your cavities, the better. Of course, the best approach to all dental concerns is through preventative treatment, including twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, daily flossing, and twice-yearly scheduled professional dental cleanings. Even with the best care, emergencies can still arise, so take comfort in the knowledge that emergency dental care is usually available with just a little bit of legwork.

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