A Guide to Emergency Dental Treatment Options: What You Need to Know

Dental emergencies can be painful and full of confusion. They happen suddenly and you don’t understand how to respond. They can happen to anyone at any time. Whether it’s a nasty fall that knocks out a tooth or a raging toothache that strikes in the middle of the night. When faced with urgent dental situations like these, many people aren’t sure what to do or where to turn for emergency dental treatment.

We have seen numerous patients at our dental clinic Surrey with dental emergencies over the years. Let us share some insights that could help if you ever find yourself in a similar predicament. From knowing when to seek immediate dental care to tips on what to do while awaiting treatment, this guide covers the need-to-know info on handling dental emergencies.

When is a Dental Issue Truly an Emergency?

You don’t have to run to an emergency room for every dental problem. They are not that bad always. Problems like a minor toothache, chipped tooth, or painful filling can likely wait for your dentist’s next available appointment during regular office hours.

However, some situations demand immediate professional dental treatment. You can’t delay meeting with your dentist even for a short time. Waiting in such situations can lead to complications like a permanent tooth or widespread infection. Here are some of the potential cases that constitute a true dental emergency requiring emergency dental treatment:

Severe toothache or mouth pain: This can be intense or throbbing pain that won’t go away with over-the-counter medication. This could signal a deep infection or inflamed nerves that need urgent treatment.

Cracked, chipped, broken or knocked-out teeth: These injuries hurt badly and even affect your ability to eat or speak. If you leave them untreated you open the door for bacteria to enter the tooth’s inner layers and cause infections. What can you do as an immediate recourse? You can reinsert knocked-out teeth within an hour to prevent the roots from drying out.

Dental abscess with swelling: An abscess or localized infection around a tooth can cause significant swelling in the face, cheeks or jaw area. This shouldn’t be ignored. This infection could potentially spread to other areas of the body.

Knocked-loose or extruded tooth: When a tooth gets partially dislodged or pushed out of its socket, either from trauma or an accident, it requires prompt repositioning and splinting by a dentist to try and save it.

Severe cuts or injuries to gums, tongue or cheek area: Deep wounds or uncontrolled bleeding in the soft tissues of the mouth need attention to prevent excessive blood loss and reduce the risk of infection.

Lost or broken dental restoration:  While it may not seem like an emergency at first, having a tooth’s protective covering removed or damaged can quickly lead to excruciating pain and temperature sensitivity if not restored promptly.

Where to Go for Emergency Dental Care

If you discover yourself facing any sort of urgent dental situation, don’t wait – call your dentist at once. Most dental offices have an after-hours emergency number to reach the dentist.

Explain what is taking place in detail, as your dentist will likely attempt to first walk you through a few pain control steps. Many dental emergencies can be quickly alleviated at home until you’re able to get to the dentist during their regular working hours.

However, in case your dentist isn’t available or if it’s a more critical situation like uncontrollable bleeding or large facial trauma, then head straight to the emergency room. ER physicians can offer urgent care to prevent bleeding, relocate jaw fractures, and offer antibiotics if there is a chance of contamination.

For issues that require greater emergency dental treatment like excessive toothaches, lost fillings, abscesses or broken enamel, your safe option is a dental clinic Surrey. These clinics treat urgent dental needs. They are ready with all the equipment and staff required to address different types of dental emergencies.

What to Expect During Emergency Dental Treatment

No matter where you receive your initial urgent care, the overall process for treating dental emergencies follows some common steps:

Examination and Diagnosis The dental staff will carefully examine your mouth, take x-rays if needed, and get information about your symptoms and how the injury occurred. This allows them to properly diagnose the underlying issue and map out the best treatment approach.

Pain Management Their first priority is relieving your discomfort and pain. Depending on the situation, this could involve numbing the area with a local anesthetic, prescribing stronger oral pain medications, or using cold compresses to minimize swelling and inflammation.

Stabilizing Treatment

With the pain under control, the dentist can then start addressing and stabilizing the actual emergency issue at hand. This may involve:

• • Draining and treating any abscesses or infections
  • Repositioning and splinting dislodged or loose teeth
  • Extracting severely damaged teeth that can’t be saved
  • Smoothing rough edges on cracked, chipped or broken teeth
  • Providing temporary or permanent fillings/crowns for lost restorations
  • Stitching up any cuts or lacerations in the soft tissues

The extent of treatment provided during this urgent visit will depend on the specific injury or condition. More complex procedures like root canals may have to wait until a later appointment once the immediate emergency is resolved.

Follow-Up Care

For many dental emergencies, the initial treatment is just the first step in a longer process. Like it can be a small solution to make you feel relaxed. Once the urgent issue has been stabilized and your pain is under control, you’ll likely need to schedule follow-up appointments with your regular dentist.

These follow-ups allow for more comprehensive treatment like:

• • Root canal therapy if an infection has spread to the inner tooth
  • Permanent crowns or dental implants to replace extracted teeth
  • Gum or bone grafting for more serious mouth injuries
  • Orthodontic work to repair shifted teeth after trauma

Your dentist will ensure any outstanding issues get fully addressed. They will ensure your mouth heals properly after the initial Dental emergencies can be painful and full of confusion. They happen suddenly and you don’t understand how to respond. They can happen to anyone at any time. Whether it’s a nasty fall that knocks out a tooth or a raging toothache that strikes in the middle of the night. When faced with urgent dental situations like these, many people aren’t sure what to do or where to turn for emergency dental treatment.

We have seen numerous patients at our dental clinic Surrey with dental emergencies over the years. Let us share some insights that could help if you ever find yourself in a similar predicament. From knowing when to seek immediate dental care to tips on what to do while awaiting treatment, this guide covers the need-to-know info on handling dental emergencies.

When is a Dental Issue Truly an Emergency?

You don’t have to run to an emergency room for every dental problem. They are not that bad always. Problems like a minor toothache, chipped tooth, or painful filling can likely wait for your dentist’s next available appointment during regular office hours.

However, some situations demand immediate professional dental treatment. You can’t delay meeting with your dentist even for a short time. Waiting in such situations can lead to complications like a permanent tooth or widespread infection. Here are some of the potential cases that constitute a true dental emergency requiring emergency dental treatment:

Severe toothache or mouth pain: This can be intense or throbbing pain that won’t go away with over-the-counter medication. This could signal a deep infection or inflamed nerves that need urgent treatment.

Cracked, chipped, broken or knocked-out teeth: These injuries hurt badly and even affect your ability to eat or speak. If you leave them untreated you open the door for bacteria to enter the tooth’s inner layers and cause infections. What can you do as an immediate recourse? You can reinsert knocked-out teeth within an hour to prevent the roots from drying out.

Dental abscess with swelling: An abscess or localized infection around a tooth can cause significant swelling in the face, cheeks or jaw area. This shouldn’t be ignored. This infection could potentially spread to other areas of the body.

Knocked-loose or extruded tooth: When a tooth gets partially dislodged or pushed out of its socket, either from trauma or an accident, it requires prompt repositioning and splinting by a dentist to try and save it.

Severe cuts or injuries to gums, tongue or cheek area: Deep wounds or uncontrolled bleeding in the soft tissues of the mouth need attention to prevent excessive blood loss and reduce the risk of infection.

Lost or broken dental restoration:  While it may not seem like an emergency at first, having a tooth’s protective covering removed or damaged can quickly lead to excruciating pain and temperature sensitivity if not restored promptly.

Where to Go for Emergency Dental Care

If you discover yourself facing any sort of urgent dental situation, don’t wait – call your dentist at once. Most dental offices have an after-hours emergency number to reach the dentist.

Explain what is taking place in detail, as your dentist will likely attempt to first walk you through a few pain control steps. Many dental emergencies can be quickly alleviated at home until you’re able to get to the dentist during their regular working hours.

However, in case your dentist isn’t available or if it’s a more critical situation like uncontrollable bleeding or large facial trauma, then head straight to the emergency room. ER physicians can offer urgent care to prevent bleeding, relocate jaw fractures, and offer antibiotics if there is a chance of contamination.

For issues that require greater emergency dental treatment like excessive toothaches, lost fillings, abscesses or broken enamel, your safe option is a dental clinic Surrey. These clinics treat urgent dental needs. They are ready with all the equipment and staff required to address different types of dental emergencies.

What to Expect During Emergency Dental Treatment

No matter where you receive your initial urgent care, the overall process for treating dental emergencies follows some common steps:

Examination and Diagnosis The dental staff will carefully examine your mouth, take x-rays if needed, and get information about your symptoms and how the injury occurred. This allows them to properly diagnose the underlying issue and map out the best treatment approach.

Pain Management Their first priority is relieving your discomfort and pain. Depending on the situation, this could involve numbing the area with a local anesthetic, prescribing stronger oral pain medications, or using cold compresses to minimize swelling and inflammation.

Stabilizing Treatment

With the pain under control, the dentist can then start addressing and stabilizing the actual emergency issue at hand. This may involve:

• • Draining and treating any abscesses or infections
  • Repositioning and splinting dislodged or loose teeth
  • Extracting severely damaged teeth that can’t be saved
  • Smoothing rough edges on cracked, chipped or broken teeth
  • Providing temporary or permanent fillings/crowns for lost restorations
  • Stitching up any cuts or lacerations in the soft tissues

The extent of treatment provided during this urgent visit will depend on the specific injury or condition. More complex procedures like root canals may have to wait until a later appointment once the immediate emergency is resolved.

Follow-Up Care

For many dental emergencies, the initial treatment is just the first step in a longer process. Like it can be a small solution to make you feel relaxed. Once the urgent issue has been stabilized and your pain is under control, you’ll likely need to schedule follow-up appointments with your regular dentist.

These follow-ups allow for more comprehensive treatment like:

• • Root canal therapy if an infection has spread to the inner tooth
  • Permanent crowns or dental implants to replace extracted teeth
  • Gum or bone grafting for more serious mouth injuries
  • Orthodontic work to repair shifted teeth after trauma

Your dentist will ensure any outstanding issues get fully addressed. They will ensure your mouth heals properly after the initial emergency dental treatment.

Preparing for Dental Emergencies

While you can’t plan for when an urgent dental situation will occur, you can take some proactive steps to be prepared just in case:

• • Keep your dentist’s emergency contact information handy at all times
  • Assemble a basic dental emergency kit with gauze, a small container with lid for storing knocked-out teeth, over-the-counter pain relievers, and your dentist’s contact info
  • Discuss an emergency action plan with family so everyone knows what to do
  • Wear proper mouth guards during sports to prevent oral injuries
  • Maintain regular dental visits to catch and treat small issues before emergencies arise

Don’t Delay Urgent Dental Care

The biggest mistake you can make is postponing treatment. Dental emergencies should be addressed as soon as possible. Delaying care, even for a few hours, increases the risk of permanent damage, infection, and needless pain. Many people wait hours or even days. By acting quickly to get emergency dental treatment, you give yourself the best chance at a full recovery.

These urgent situations can certainly be stressful at the moment. You should have a plan and knowing what to expect can help you navigate the process smoothly. With proper first-aid, prompt professional treatment, and appropriate follow-up care, even serious dental emergencies can be resolved with your smile intact.

Preparing for Dental Emergencies

While you can’t plan for when an urgent dental situation will occur, you can take some proactive steps to be prepared just in case:

• • Keep your dentist’s emergency contact information handy at all times
  • Assemble a basic dental emergency kit with gauze, a small container with lid for storing knocked-out teeth, over-the-counter pain relievers, and your dentist’s contact info
  • Discuss an emergency action plan with family so everyone knows what to do
  • Wear proper mouth guards during sports to prevent oral injuries
  • Maintain regular dental visits to catch and treat small issues before emergencies arise

Don’t Delay Urgent Dental Care

The biggest mistake you can make is postponing treatment. Dental emergencies should be addressed as soon as possible. Delaying care, even for a few hours, increases the risk of permanent damage, infection, and needless pain. Many people wait hours or even days. By acting quickly to get emergency dental treatment, you give yourself the best chance at a full recovery.

These urgent situations can certainly be stressful at the moment. You should have a plan and knowing what to expect can help you navigate the process smoothly. With proper first-aid, prompt professional treatment, and appropriate follow-up care, even serious dental emergencies can be resolved with your smile intact.

You can book an appointment with Triton Dental whenever you have a dental emergency in Surrey, BC.