Dental emergency is a very broad term. It could be a toothache, an abscess with swelling, or a broken tooth.
Accidents happen. For example, maybe your child fell and hit the curb and now has a cut lip and a broken tooth, maybe someone got hit in the mouth while rough housing with their sibling and a tooth was knocked out. You may have lost a filling and now have the nerves exposed causing intense pain. You may have lost a lost crown or a veneer in the front before a wedding or any other major event. A lost crown and now you have a sensitive tooth. Any or all of these may be considered dental emergencies.
Is Emergency Dental Care free?
Dental emergency care may or may not be free. If you are in an emergency room, most likely your medical insurance will pay a portion of your payment. If your dentist is addressing the dental emergency, depending upon your dental insurance coverage, your visit may be covered at 100%.
If you do not have insurance, at Carrollton smiles we offer an advantage program that helps you seek the care you need at affordable prices. Sometimes dental offices in your neighborhood may have a free dental day. TIP: follow the offices that are active on social media and see if they have a free dental day. You can follow Carrollton Smiles on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Can an emergency room pull a tooth?
Most urgent care or emergency rooms cannot pull a tooth. However, some emergency rooms have a general dentist or an oral surgeon that they can refer you to. If you are close to an emergency room that is associated with a dental school, they may have a resident who can help you.
Your best bet is to call the after-hours number of your family dentist. If you don’t have a family dentist, go to the nearest urgent care and get a prescription for antibiotics to control the infection and then call your dentist on the next working day.
Will there be immediate relief once I have seen a dentist for my Dental Emergency?
Yes, you could receive significant relief depending on the type of your emergency. If your pain is due to a lost filling, then your dentist can place the filling and you are instantly out of pain. If the pain is due to an abscess, your dentist may need to drain the abscess and place you on antibiotics to get a control of the infection before providing you with the final treatment.
The relief of your pain and discomfort depends on the severity and length of the infection. Dental infections may seem unimportant and easily treated to most people. But they are very painful and may be life threatening in serious conditions.
Will a toothache heal on its own?
It depends, there are two times a toothache will resolve itself. First, when your child is complaining of pain in their mouth from a baby tooth or permanent tooth coming out or secondly, when a baby tooth is falling out.
Most of the time when you have a toothache there is an infection. Either there is an old filling or a crown with a recurrent cavity that has now advanced to the nerve. It can be dental decay that is not been treated and now the nerve is infected causing pain. There can be some abscess or drainage associated too. Sometimes gum infections associated with periodontal disease can also cause toothache.
I can safely say that 10/10 times toothaches do not heal themselves. Most patients need some type of dental treatment to get out of pain. It can be as simple as a filling or something major like needing a root canal treatment or in some extreme cases extractions.
What do I do if my tooth is knocked out?
The technical term for a knocked out tooth is an avulsed tooth, in these cases time is very important and you should follow these steps:
- It is very important not to panic
- Check to see if there are any visible cuts to the lips or tongue
- Place some ice and control the bleeding
- Try to find the tooth
- Inspect the tooth for any dirt or debris that may be sticking to it. If there is any contamination, gently rinse with saline and do not touch the root of the tooth and try to put the tooth back in the socket.
- If you are unable to put the tooth back into the socket, the next best thing would be to put it in mouth between the cheek and jaw bone.
- If the tooth belongs to your child and they are not able to hold it in their mouth, the parents can do the same for them.
Other options
One option would be to save it in milk, then go to your dentist to have them help you. Alternatively, there is a product that is available in stores, called “Save-A-Tooth” if you can get it quickly it is a good alternative.
What do I do if my gums, cheek, or tongue are injured?
Most injuries in your mouth are caused by trauma, for example, you may have bumped your mouth when you had a fall, or you may have been hit while playing or may be just bit yourself. The cuts of the mouth bleed profusely as there is a lot of blood supply to the mouth and also a little blood mixed with a lot of saliva makes it seem like a lot of blood.
If the injury is due to a fall, make sure you rinse the area out by cleaning with water.
Put some pressure on it, try to avoid spitting as it will make the bleeding worse and prevent clotting. Put some ice on the area to help stop the bleeding and hasten the clotting.
If the injury occurred to a kid, give them some ice cream or a popsicle, this helps with pain and bleeding.
Its imperative you contact your general dentist to see if you may need stitches to closes the wound
What are the do’s and don’ts for a dental emergency?
| Do’s | | Don’t |
|---|
| Contact your dentist right away. | | Wait and hope that the pain would go away |
| Take OTC Tylenol or ibuprofen if needed | | Do not take aspirin if you have bleeding issues |
| Place ice pack on the area if you have bleeding or swelling | | Do not place heat on the area it will increase the swelling |
| Eat soft, warm or cold foods | | Do not eat or drink hot foods |
How can I avoid dental emergencies?
Keep up with your regular 6 month dental cleaning appointments. Get your x-rays done as recommended by your dentists. Dental x-rays help detect cavities, periodontal disease, failing restorative work and other pathologies.
It is cheaper to get the treatment done when diagnosed than wait. The dental treatment expensive and extensive the longer you wait.
Brush and floss twice a day and use mouth wash. There are numerous products in the market today to help you achieve the best oral health. Ask your dentist about which products would suit your needs.
At Carrollton Smiles, Dr. Sirisha Bhandaru offers same-day emergency dental appointments. Dental emergencies can be every expensive so Dr. Bhandaru offers Carrollton Smiles Dental Advantage program. This allows patients to have quality treatment at an affordable price as this plan offers a 15% discount of all dental services offered.
Call Carrollton Smiles for a consultation at (972) 245-3455 or book an online appointment at carrollton-smiles.com.
