When you experience a dental issue or injury, it is important to understand when to seek emergency dental care. Not all dental issues are emergencies. A knocked-out tooth, a chipped tooth, or extreme pain can all be serious dental problems, but not necessarily emergencies. Here are some of the most common questions that our team at Cowichan Valley Dental Health & Implant Centre gets about dental emergencies.
Is a Toothache a Dental Emergency?
A toothache should always be taken seriously, but you might not need to rush to an emergency dentist in Duncan. It can be the first indication of a larger issue and can lead to more serious dental problems if not properly treated. You should call a dentist near you every time that you experience a toothache to determine if you need to be seen on an emergency basis.
What Are the Most Common Dental Emergencies?
A few examples of potential dental emergencies are things such as a bad toothache, an injury that results in a tooth or teeth being knocked out, or a dental abscess. Knowing when you should seek emergency dentistry in Duncan is vital.
Speak to your dentist whenever you notice any abnormalities in your mouth or suffer an injury that affects your oral tissue or teeth. At Cowichan Valley Dental Health & Implant Centre, our dentist can provide treatment for:
- Chipped teeth
- A lost dental restoration such as a filling
- Dental abscess
- Broken teeth
Our dentist can provide care for these conditions and more, so don’t be afraid to contact our team whenever you think you may be facing a dental emergency.
How To Determine a True Dental Emergency
Not all dental problems require that you seek emergency dentistry near you. In cases where you have teeth that have been completely knocked out or you have a dental abscess causing significant pain, you need to see a dentist immediately. Serious dental injuries can lead to even more problems if not promptly treated.
What Should You Do if You Are Facing a Dental Emergency?
The first thing you should do when dealing with a potential dental emergency is call your dentist. If your emergency occurs during normal business hours, then they may be able to squeeze you in. If it is outside of business hours, visit an urgent care center.
How Do I Preserve My Knocked-Out Tooth Until I Can Get To a Dentist?
If one or more teeth have been completely knocked out of your mouth, you need to get to an emergency dentist as soon as possible. In the interim, take the following steps to preserve the tooth:
- Pick up the tooth by the crown, and be careful not to touch the roots.
- Gently rinse the tooth under lukewarm water.
- Carefully reinsert the tooth back into your mouth if possible, make sure that it is the right way around, and gently bite down on the tooth to keep it in place.
- If you are uncomfortable with placing the tooth back into its socket, place it in a shallow container of milk to preserve it until you can get to a dentist.
If you are ever experiencing a dental emergency, please contact our team at Cowichan Valley Dental and Implant Centre. We are happy to provide you with comprehensive, compassionate, and effective dental care.