What If I Can't Get an Emergency Dentist Appointment?
Dental emergencies occur when they are least expected. However, if not handled appropriately, the crises can result in severe pain, permanent damage, and extensive dental bills. Therefore it is best to learn how to prepare for them.
Sometimes it can become a challenge to locate an emergency dental clinic beyond office hours or on weekends. However, if you know to handle common dental emergencies, you can seek help from a professional dentist; the knowledge will help you to prevent complications or perhaps even save a tooth.
This article looks at how you can handle common emergencies and other issues until you get help from a dental professional.
Reason for Dental Problems
Dental emergencies are mysterious and challenging to determine whether you need prompt treatment or the issue can wait until you can see your regular dental care provider. For example, you may have a painless fractured tooth that needs treatment as soon as possible but can wait for a couple of days until you see your regular dentist.
A mild toothache is another issue you may confront frequently. In such cases, use dental floss to remove any debris trapped between your teeth and apply a cold compress to your face if you notice any swelling. Problems like lost fillings or crowns also need treatment as soon as possible from a dental professional. However, they are not dental emergencies requiring prompt treatment. Lost fillings are replaceable with sugar-free gum, and crowns can also be put back in place using over-the-counter dental adhesive.
If you suffer injuries to your mouth causing bleeding from the soft tissues, rinse your mouth with salt water to remove food and debris. Apply pressure to control bleeding using moist gauze or a teabag. If the bleeding doesn’t subside within 10 minutes, see an emergency dentist near you or visit the nearby emergency room.
When Are Dental Problems Considered As an Emergency Situation?
Some dental emergencies are not straightforward and require prompt treatment from emergency dentists in your locality. Emergency dentists usually work beyond office hours and even on weekends. Some professionals have an extra chair in their office to treat emergencies upon arrival. Therefore do not be concerned about not getting an appointment with an emergency dentist whenever you approach them.
Situations like a dental abscess near your tooth root is life-threatening condition needing prompt attention from the dentist in Waterford, MI. A dental abscess results from deep infections inside your tooth, indicating you have diseased dental pulp and root canals that need treatment as soon as possible. When you visit the Waterford dentist with an abscess besides pain, fever, and swelling in your face, they initially drain the infection and provide antibiotics to control the condition. You also receive painkillers to alleviate your discomfort. However, they recommend that you obtain root canal treatment to eradicate the infection inside your tooth or have the tooth extracted to prevent the disease from spreading.
An accident or impact to your mouth leaving you with a knocked-out tooth also makes you a candidate to receive emergency dental service from the clinic nearby. However, before you get to the dentist’s office, collect the knocked-out tooth, holding it by the Crown and gently rinsing it in water. Do not scrub the roots because you can disturb the soft tissues attached. Try to place the tooth back into its socket if possible without forcing it. If placing the tooth is challenging, use a milk container to store the tooth and head to the dentist’s office without any delay. Your best chances of saving the tooth are if you get to the dentist’s office within 30 minutes to have the tooth splinted to the adjacent teeth to allow the roots to reattach. Failure to reach the dentist within the specified time will make you a candidate to search for tooth replacement solutions.
Not every dental emergency requires treatment from an emergency dentist. Some situations described earlier can wait for a couple of days until you see your regular dentist. Unfortunately, severe problems require prompt treatment, and all dentists are willing to accommodate patients at short notice whenever they are approached. Dentists understand dental emergencies do not provide prior warnings before occurring. To help you overcome your discomfort and preserve your tooth, dentists accommodate appointments for emergencies from patients whenever they are open and available. If they are closed, they also have alternate on-call professionals to help you manage your dental emergency.
If you find it challenging to locate an emergency dentist when you need it most, we recommend you contact The Waterford Dentist offering walk-in appointments to all patients confronting a dental emergency.