Signs You Need the Help of an Emergency Dentist

Sunday morning emergency dentist visits are probably not top of mind for the most fun way to spend the weekend. We agree, and would prefer to spend our Sunday mornings doing family activities as well. Unfortunately, we have learned that there are times when our services as an emergency dentist are simply required and that patients cannot always way till regular business hours. Most of the time, this has to do with a damaged tooth, caused by an accident during weekend activities. At other times, a person has let an infection drag on for too long, knowingly or unknowingly, and now the discomfort has become so intense that they need relief and seek medical attention. It is the ability to relieve a patient’s immediate discomfort and start them on the road to recovery that makes providing weekend services worthwhile. This is especially true when we are dealing with an infection or a dental abscess that has the risk of spreading to other teeth.

Our services are typically for those who have damaged their teeth in an accident, which is when most people consider needing emergency help. Interestingly though, about an equal number of cases are patients that simply are too busy to deal with regular dental challenges until they become too severe to ignore. When you have an infection, certainly one that has become or is becoming a dental abscess, you should not put off treatment or just “deal with” the pain. Eventually, it is going to becoming a constant gnawing ache that can be quite debilitating, and you will need to seek treatment anyway. Paying attention to the subtle signs and seeking treatment while the discomfort is manageable, will prevent you from needing more intensive treatments at times that may be inconvenient for you.

Signs that you may need an emergency dentist appointment –

If you have a dental abscess, you should seek immediate treatment. A dental abscess is an infection that has spread to the center of the tooth. Typically it begins with a damaged, chipped, or cracked tooth that allows bacteria to spread an infection past the enamel and to the center of the tooth, also known as the pulp. Fundamentally a dental abscess is a localized accumulation of pus, which can lead to the infection spreading to nearby teeth. An abscess may also form due to gum disease such as gingivitis. One thing to note is that an acute abscess may actually be painless for a long time but will be sensitive to cold and heat. There are other symptoms that you can be aware of, which may prevent you from having to seek the care of an emergency dentist. They key is calling at the first sign of these symptoms:

Severe pain, with the tooth being too sensitive to touch.
A bitter taste in the mouth, often accompanied by extremely bad breath.
Swelling of the gums and glands, especially around the neck, is extremely common.
An open sore on the side of the gums.

If you have any of these symptoms, it is important to get them checked out by a dentist, immediately.