Signs You Should Call an Emergency Dentist

Every day an emergency dentist is helping patients with pain relief. This is the primary responsibility that started the entire concept of an emergency dentist. Most people have access to a dentist, whether at our clinic or elsewhere in the community. Unfortunately when providers only work standard business hours, there is no one there when a patient has a dire need, caused by a rabid infection or a severe accident. The discomfort caused by toothache can be extremely debilitating, making dental relief a critical function of our emergency dentist office.

When accidents happen, resulting in trauma to the teeth, patients cannot wait till Monday morning to be seen and have their tooth, or teeth, dealt with. To that end having an emergency dentist that you can call upon, especially if you have children who are more prone to accidents, is an important addition to your emergency contact list. Fortunately, our services are not only confined to dealing with traumatic injury. In fact, a large portion of our patients come in with situations that could have been dealt with during normal business hours but they simply didn’t have the time.

When you have a challenge like an infection, a large cavity, or an abscess, it is always recommended that you seek immediate dental care. For many people, however, this is not a priority in their busy schedules, and they put it off until the pain becomes too unbearable to continue. At which point they are often going to have to come in for immediate treatment. An untreated infection or abscess can cause a great deal of discomfort and has the additional risk of spreading to other parts of the mouth as well. Treating these kinds of ailments in a timely fashion is very important.

One condition that is traditionally dealt during normal hours, but we see from time to time is a dental abscess. A dental abscess usually gives a person plenty of warning, allowing them to get the care they need, but occasionally it will occur without the gnawing discomfort, making it difficult to identify early. Fundamentally a dental abscess is a localized collection of pus around an infected tooth. These frequently occur when a tooth has been chipped or cracked, and not restored correctly. The bacteria can then find its way inside the tooth and infect the pulp. Sometimes the infection will spread to the root as well. Typically this condition is very obvious to the patient as it has acute discomfort associated with it. The discomfort, which has been described as gnawing in nature, will continue to increase until the condition has been treated, and the infection has been removed.

Some of the other symptoms that are often associated with a dental abscess are:

• Extreme sensitivity of the tooth. Often time’s people are not able to touch the tooth that is infected, and even air can cause discomfort. 
• Swelling of the lymph glands, particularly around the neck area. 
• Nasty smelling breath that cannot be improved with mouthwash or brushing and is frequently accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth. 
• An open sore on the side of your gums.

If you have these symptoms, chances are good that you have a dental abscess and should seek immediate medical attention. As an emergency dentist, you can also call us if your tooth becomes cracked, chipped or falls out suddenly.