Emergency Dentistry

Emergency Dentistry in Windermere Edmonton

No matter how many precautions we take to ensure our safety and wellbeing, sometimes nature finds a loophole. When engaging in risky activity like contact sports, we use mouth guards and padding to stabilize the jaw and protect the teeth and we brush and floss every day to decrease the likelihood of tooth decay and infection. Still, we can never be sure that we won’t encounter an emergency situation. If you were faced with a dental emergency, would you know what to do?

What is a Dental Emergency?

We know that a knocked-out tooth would constitute an emergency, but what about broken teeth or a toothache? Your dentist considers a dental emergency to be anything that has traumatized the structure of your teeth by force, or any condition that causes pain beyond the ability of household medications to treat. If you’ve tried Advil and Tylenol and still can’t get a handle on the pain, it’s likely you need to see your emergency dentist in Edmonton urgently.

Not every crack or chip requires an emergency dental care appointment. For example, if a tooth has broken off but has not exposed the inner chamber you may be able to wait to see your dentist within a matter of days instead of hours. If you are unsure of whether you need to go into the clinic, we recommend calling to explain the situation and seek direction. We make every effort to allow for some degree of flexibility in scheduling emergency treatment, however, if we are not able to see you quickly enough, we will recommend seeing another emergency dentist near you for urgent dental care before returning to us for follow-up care.

If your dental emergency is the result of an accident involving head trauma, it is important to prioritize the head injury and head to the nearest emergency hospital department. Injuries to the mouth can appear more dangerous due to the show of blood but should not be considered more urgent than head trauma. In an emergency situation, it is important to maintain perspective and remember that dental restorations can still be accessed once the immediate concerns around other serious body trauma have been addressed.

Infections

Pain in the mouth should first be investigated visually at home. If you feel pain, check the tissues around the tooth for signs of redness, swelling or seepage. A tell-tale sign of an infected tooth is the presence of a pustule. A pustule contains pus and may rupture due to pressure. If you see a white formation on the gum, do not rupture or express it, and allow it to drain naturally if it has already ruptured. Tooth pain can be made worse with the application of heat. Instead, keep a cold compress on your cheek and rinse the mouth with cool water to lessen inflammation and flush the area as needed. Since dental infections carry with them the risk of systemic infection if bacteria gets into the blood stream, it is important to treat infections quickly.

Knockouts

If you’ve had a tooth knocked out, it is critical to find the tooth in order to have it replaced in the socket, which is most likely to be effective within half an hour of losing it. The tooth will need to be rinsed in clean water and placed in milk or the inside of the cheek. When handling the tooth, hold it by its crown only. To control bleeding, use sterile gauze from a first aid kit or a small piece of clean fabric. Roll the fabric or gauze and place it in the gap, then bite down slightly to add pressure and encourage clotting. If your natural tooth cannot be successfully restored, your dentist will reassure you of the number of prosthetic tooth replacement options. We offer bridges as well as dental implants which, after healing, look and feel as natural and comfortable as if they were your own.

Chips and Breaks

If you have chipped or broken a tooth and can find the broken piece, your dentist may be able to use it in restoring the damage to your tooth. Locate the fragments and rinse with clean water. If the tooth fragment is too small for a sealed container, tuck it in your cheek pocket in order to get it to the dentist safely.

Stay Prepared

When an emergency happens, it’s important to act quickly. Always keep a stocked first aid kit in your home and family vehicle and make certain that every member of the family knows where to find it. If you use items from your first aid kit, like saline or gauze, be sure to replace it with new supply to ensure that you’re always prepared for the unexpected.

For questions about this or other services offered by our general dentist, contact our clinic today.

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