No matter our level of planning and preparing accidents happen and circumstances present themselves. Uptown Dental Centre is the dentist to call upon when you need an emergency dentist in downtown Edmonton. Depending upon your circumstances, however, you may need to see a new dentist to address the emergency.
Do I Need a Dentist Near Me?
To determine whether or not you can wait to see your dentist or whether you need to see one now comes down to the trauma to the tooth and your level of pain. A true dental emergency is one where an infection in the tooth is causing intolerable pain, you have knocked out your tooth, or you have broken a tooth open and exposed the nerve. In any of these three cases, you need to see a dentist near you if you are away from home or your dentist cannot accommodate you. At Uptown Dental Centre in downtown Edmonton, we accommodate emergency appointments as often as possible. When we are unable to see our patient soon enough, we recommend seeking another downtown dentist in Edmonton temporarily. You’ll be able to see us again once the emergency is addressed.
It should be noted that for a tooth to be successfully restored in the mouth, a dentist should intervene no more than thirty minutes after its loss. Take steps to stop the bleeding with clean gauze and prepare the tooth for travel by rinsing it and tucking it in your cheek or putting it in a clean container full of milk. Head to your downtown dentist in Edmonton or an emergency dentist as close as possible to where the trauma occurred to minimize travel time.
Infection
If you have a dental infection, you may know the cause. Typically, these are cavities that have progressed to the point of entering the tooth’s inner tissue. Bacteria enters the cavity and begins an infection that may start with a deep throbbing pain. If this pain isn’t manageable with over-the-counter medication, it’s an indication that you need to see an emergency dentist in Edmonton or nearest to you. Infections can spread into other tissues, like bone, and even into the blood. If you have a bad toothache, call your downtown Edmonton dentist and explain your symptoms. They will be able to help determine whether you need to be seen urgently or not.
You may not know what is causing your toothache. If you saw your family dentist in Edmonton recently and there were no problems seen, it is still possible to develop an infection. Physical signs of infections can be an off-putting taste in the mouth and a pimple-like formation on the gums. Typically, this pimple will be full of white or yellowish pus – do not irritate or poke at the area. Instead, place an ice pack on the cheek to settle the swollen tissues and reduce the pain until you can see a dentist. Note that the application of heat will worsen pain.
Breaks
If you break a tooth, whether it’s an emergency will depend on where it breaks. If the tip of the tooth is broken off but there is no severe pain and the cavity of the tooth is intact, it’s likely that your dentist will want to see you within a few days for a non-emergent appointment. If the cavity is broken open, the nerve of the exposed tooth will cause pain until a root canal can be performed or the tooth can be removed. Always bring tooth fragments with you to the dentist if they can be found.
Important – Not Urgent
Important concerns are dental problems that do not require an emergency visit. These are typically issues that cause discomfort but are not time-sensitive. Examples of this include tissue irritation, broken oral appliances or lost restorations.
If you find yourself with tissue irritation due to wearing dental braces, you can visit your local drugstore for a temporary solution. In the oral health isle, find dental wax. This wax can be taken in pieces, rolled into a suitably sized ball, and pressed over the braces where they are causing pain. This will create a barrier between your braces and your cheek to allow the cheek to heal. Similarly, when a bracket is dislodged from the tooth, dental wax can be used to stabilize it until you can see a dentist.
Sometimes, restorations come loose for a variety of reasons. That could mean that a crown pops off a tooth or a filling is lost, for example. This can leave the natural tooth feeling sensitive. We recommend using some soft chewing gum under the crown and gently pressing it back into place. This will add protection and decrease sensitivity until you can see a dentist. Lost filling? You can use chewing gum to protect the tooth from sensitivity.
