Emergency Dental Care

A dental emergency is an urgent situation that needs to be addressed immediately in order to alleviate the patient’s discomfort or prevent more extensive damage to the patient’s oral health that may be caused by an issue such as an acute infection. For most – although not all – patients seeking emergency dental care, the motivating factor will be underlying pain.

A desire to restore the smile’s appearance may also prompt patients to pursue emergency dental care. Some dental practices may not be equipped to accommodate dental emergencies unless the patients are already established with the practice, so if you do not see a dentist regularly, you may want to research the practices in your area that will be able to accommodate you in an emergency.

If you have a severe toothache, signs of infection or an abscess – such as bad breath or noticeable pus – or have suffered a dental injury or facial trauma, you may need emergency dental care. You can always call our office if you have any questions about whether a dental problem you’re having needs to be treated immediately.

A broken tooth is detrimental to your smile’s appearance and potentially dangerous for your oral health. Therefore, it should be treated as soon as possible. Call our office to schedule an appointment and to be advised on how to care for the tooth in the meantime. You may be instructed to apply gauze to any bleeding area in your mouth, and if necessary, cover the exposed tooth part with dental cement. You may also be able to take an over-the-counter painkiller if you’re experiencing any discomfort. After you are evaluated in our office, we can recommend a more permanent treatment.

Any number of issues may rise to the level of dental emergency, including toothache, advanced decay, abscesses or other infections, broken or chipped teeth, broken facial bones resulting from trauma or any significant oral pain. Feel free to call our office to schedule the next available appointment if you experience any of these concerns.