Which Procedures Are Considered Emergency Dental Care?

Emergency dental care is one of those things you never hope you need but are happy to have available. Similar to emergency medical care, emergency dental care is meant to be there when there is an oral issue occurring outside of traditional business hours that can’t wait until you can get an appointment.

Many dental offices are offering this type of service now to help their patients and keep patients in extreme pain from an oral problem out of a hospital emergency room, which has typically been the only medical service offered at night or on weekends.

This means that patients should respect the differences between emergency dental care and other types of oral care needs. It’s important to keep emergency dental care unencumbered for those who truly need it.

Emergency Dental Care Needs

It can be hard to determine when a situation falls into an emergency versus a non-emergency, especially when you or a loved one is in pain. The line falls with the situation and the pain involved. Those suffering from so much pain that they can’t manage it themselves with over-the-counter pain relievers until they can see a dentist probably need emergency dental care.

Accidents and injuries fall into this area. This can include car, bike, and home accidents, as well as sports injuries. An accident or injury can leave you with no serious physical problem but result in a mouth injury such as a missing or cracked tooth, mouth cut, or damaged braces. This is when to call for an emergency dental appointment.

An emergency dental appointment could save teeth and give you pain relief when you have a mouth injury.

Another reason to call for an emergency dental appointment is an infection that is causing significant pain and swelling. A tooth abscess can be serious if left untreated. Your gum and cheek can swell and the area around the problem tooth becomes inflamed.

While some could wait until the next day to see a dentist, those who are in significant pain should seek an emergency appointment. You should also look for an emergency appointment if these types of things occur on weekends because Monday may be too far away to wait for pain relief or to treat an infection.

Procedures in Emergency Dental Care

Every dentist has different procedures outlined for emergency dental care. Generally, the purpose of emergency dental care is to treat the immediate injury and offer pain relief. The patient is then advised to follow up with their dentist for further treatments.

Almost all emergency dental care procedures will include an X-day. X-rays are needed to determine the extent of damage or infection. It will also include a brief exam by a dentist to determine the cause of the issue or the extent of the injury. Emergency procedures following that are determined by the dentist based on the situation.

Those could include extracting the remainder of a broken tooth, stitching up an area, or performing procedures to restore a tooth damaged or missing from an injury. It typically includes prescribing antibiotics and pain medication until you can visit the dentist for a follow-up.

Getting Emergency Care

Most dental offices aren’t open 24/7 for walk-ins but have a dentist on call. Dentists usually have an after-hour emergency number or extension that directs patients to the dentist on call. The dentist will meet you at the dental office to do an exam and address the problem.

Having a dentist who offers emergency dental care offers peace of mind that you, your kids, or a family member won’t be left to suffer until Monday morning or after a holiday with a painful dental issue. That’s why we consider it an important part of our practice. We want to be there for you.