What is emergency dentistry?

Emergency dentistry is practiced by emergency dentists across the country and provides services outside of regular business hours. For the most part, the dentists who practice emergency dentistry are regular dentists since emergency dentistry is simply an extension of what we do every single day. Our patients come in for fillings, to see about getting braces and to treat infections. We also have regular maintenance patients who come in twice a year for cleaning and examinations. The only fundamental difference is that when a patient needs to see us in the wee hours of the morning for an intense toothache, we are available and equipped to help you get the treatment you need. Most dentist offices practice during normal business hours. This means they open each morning at 9 a.m. and close each evening at 5 p.m. every day, Monday through Friday. In the event that you have an emergency that can be fitted between these hours, then you can go see any dentist. There are very few who actually practice emergency dentistry, who make themselves available 24 hours every day, 7 days per week. We do this because we saw a profound need in the community. What we noticed, as have other emergency dentists around the country, is that the potential for an accident goes up significantly as people engage in leisurely activities. These typically happen after hours or on the weekend. Your child, for example, is far more likely to get a tooth knocked loose playing soccer on a Saturday afternoon than they are while sitting in the classroom during the week. The challenge is that when these kinds of incidents happen, like if you wake up with a tremendous amount of oral discomfort at two in the morning, you want to be able to be seen and treated as soon as possible. Waiting around with a toothache or an upset child is not really an option, hence the popularity of emergency dentistry that can provide you with the relief you desire without having to wait till regular business hours.

When to call for emergency dentistry?

There are ways to know if you need emergency dentistry, but the standard rule of thumb is that if you cannot stand the discomfort anymore, it is time to seek medical attention. When it comes to bleeding or a lost tooth, you need to come in immediately, as there is a limited amount of time in which we can save the tooth itself. If you are bleeding, you need to access how badly you are bleeding and call emergency services (911) if the bleeding is profuse. For situations where you are in pain, if you cannot stop the discomfort with standard over-the-counter medication, the pain returns after a short while, or if the pain becomes sharp in nature, then you probably want to call an emergency dentist just to be sure there is no infection spreading. We would much rather you call in than try and wait out a situation that could be potentially hazardous to your overall health.

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