Woken up at 4 am with a pulsing pain under your tooth? Or has a filling fallen out? Not a great start to the day!
These, and a myriad of other issues warrant a trip to your out of hours or emergency dental team, such as abnormal swelling, bleeding, the discovery of a lump or bump in your mouth and even detachment of orthodontic braces. As you can see, not all of these are likely to cause discomfort but all of them are enough to get an emergency dental team to book you in!
And, if you are like most people having an emergency related to their teeth, chances are you just want to have it resolved as quickly as possible so you can get on with your day as you had planned.
But, if you have never been to an emergency dental team before, you will want to know more about them. So, read on!
Which dentist near me will offer emergency appointments?
The majority of general dental teams do offer emergency dental care, so all you need to do is look online for the nearest one to you.
Of course, it is worth looking at patient reviews too, as you don’t want a bad job done during an emergency situation!
What can I expect at the appointment?
If you are in discomfort, you can expect the emergency team to relieve this with injectable or prescribed pain relief.
Depending on the cause of your visit, you can expect an examination to take place and the underlying issue to be resolved in the majority of cases (such as a lost filling), or partially resolved in relation to oral infections. For the latter, a follow-up appointment is needed to perform a root canal or an extraction.
Do all dental teams offer 24-hour emergency care?
This entirely depends on which dental team you choose.
The majority of dental surgeries offer same-day emergency appointments, so should your issue strike at 2 am, you can rest assured that you will be seen the following day.
If you truly cannot wait until the next working day due to discomfort, search online for your nearest 24-hour emergency dental department.
Will I need a follow-up after my emergency appointment?
This will depend on the cause of the emergency; if you had a cracked tooth, you won’t need a follow-up with your regular dental practitioner.
However, if the cause of your emergency care was an abscess, you will need to see your regular dental team for a root canal. Or, if one was provided at your emergency appointment, you should have your dental team look over the work that was done to ensure it was performed satisfactorily.
What can I do to prevent another dental emergency?
While some dental emergencies cannot be prevented and are due to sheer luck (such as cracking a tooth) the majority of more serious issues can be prevented with good oral hygiene at home and regular contact with your dental team via check-ups.
DISCLAIMER
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
