You could experience unforeseen dental injuries due to accidents, diseases, or other causes. If you feel discomfort or pain in your teeth and gums, you require immediate attention from your dentist. You want to ensure that you seek emergency dental services, as downplaying the conditions may cause severe complications later. When searching for an appropriate dental clinic, you want to consider the quality of services you receive and the dentists’ experience level. This way, you will be confident in receiving reliable emergency treatment that alleviates your condition until further procedures are scheduled.
At Washington Dental, we work hard to provide the best emergency dental services in Carson, California. Our team is well equipped to handle a wide range of emergency dental conditions, giving you the relief and treatment you seek. We are also happy to accommodate walk-in patients, especially because the nature of emergency services revolves around unforeseen circumstances. With our help, you can determine whether the cause of your dental problem arises from an ongoing underlying condition or a sudden trauma affecting different parts of your mouth.
The Nature of Emergency Dentistry
As the name dictates, an emergency dentistry service is required when patients suffer from unpredictable conditions affecting their oral health. Typically, emergencies vary depending on the severity, meaning that your dentist will have to identify the best course of treatment for you.
Nevertheless, there are common procedures that make up a predictable line of action for emergency dentistry. Despite this, you should note that a dentist’s treatment options may vary depending on the type of clinic you choose. The characteristics of emergency dentistry services include:
Specialized Treatment in Dental Injuries/Conditions
When a general medical emergency occurs, the first step may be to forward the injured patient to the emergency room. This is common in accidents that cause high impacts, including car accidents, violent fights, or falling and hurting yourself. After arriving at the emergency room, nurses will examine you to determine the specific type of treatment you require.
During these examinations, your dental injuries are discovered and forwarded to an emergency dentist for further treatment. Sometimes, you may receive essential stabilization in the general emergency room before moving to the dental zone of the hospital. Despite this, medical professionals are expected to work efficiently to prevent your mouth injuries from worsening during your waiting period.
Once an emergency dentist is available to examine you, the necessary services will continue, giving the dentist a chance to provide the necessary treatment. Thanks to the dentist’s specialty in handling dental emergencies, you do not have to worry about services being incompatible with your condition. For example, before prescribing painkillers, we will examine to determine the cause of pain or discomfort. In doing so, we are sure that the pain relief medicine will assist you in reducing symptoms.
Walk-ins are Allowed
Typically, dental clinics operate through the appointment system, where you have to book a session with your dentist in advance. However, emergencies demand fast reactions to the patient’s needs, making you unable to wait in line. Thus, our clinic allows walk-ins for patients facing emergencies to helping them receive provisional remedies before a full treatment option is available.
We advise our patients to call the clinic on their way here, as it enables us to prepare a consultation and examination room. Moreover, calling minutes in advance can help us reach dentists on call, especially if they are not within the premises. In return, they will arrive sooner compared to waiting for their arrival when you are already in the clinic.
Our compassionate team understands the nature of most dental emergencies, so we are willing to postpone some appointments for your sake. We also take up the duty of dealing with clients waiting in line on your behalf to help them understand why you receive priority in seeing the dentist. This way, you do not have to deal with the anxiety of negotiating with clients by yourself, especially because you may already be in pain.
Emergency Services Should be Available 24/7
Ideally, dental clinics should provide emergency dentistry services for twenty-four hours. The availability often means that an emergency dentist will always be available on call in any occurrences, especially after working hours. Finding a dental clinic dedicated to providing an open line of communication at all times is essential because it gives you the comfort of reliability.
Therefore, we strive to be available to our patients whenever they need us. Even when accessing the clinic is difficult, our dentists can answer any questions online through messaging or brief calls. The line of communication works well for manageable emergencies at home, saving you time and resources that you would otherwise spend in coming to the clinic.
For example, if your teeth got knocked out but are not bleeding excessively, your dentist can direct you on making a home-based saline solution to prevent infections. Following the guidelines will provide temporary relief until you can visit our clinic for further treatment.
In extreme cases, we can also organize a small team of professionals to provide remote assistance or transport you to the clinic, depending on your circumstances. Your dental health is our priority, so we are willing to extend help beyond our establishment.
All Dentists in a Clinic Should be Skilled in Handling Dental Emergencies
Seeking medical assistance in a dental clinic should avail you of services from a skilled professional who understands the best course of action for your specific condition. Thus, each clinic should have at least one dentist on the premises throughout the day to handle any emergencies. Alternatively, he/she can be instrumental in guiding trainee professionals on how to handle the emergency condition for a successful outcome.
If you are unsure about receiving treatment from a well-experienced dentist, we advise you to seek services elsewhere, as you may risk dealing with complications for improper treatment. Sometimes, this may also escalate to medical malpractice lawsuits, primarily if the person was negligent when issuing treatment.
Our clinic operations are geared towards ensuring that each patient is well cared for, regardless of your emergency’s severity. With our help, you can learn of the main cause of your emergency dental condition along with the various solutions available for treatment. Since your dentist is likely problem and appropriately treated to have dealt with a case similar to yours before, he/she will be knowledgeable and calm throughout the procedures. Eventually, the condition is under control, offering you the required relief.
Emergency Remedies Offer Relief Fast
Emergencies prompt service providers to perform procedures immediately, especially if the patient's well-being is at risk. Without the proper training and direction from an experienced dentist, you may face delays that could otherwise be avoidable in the clinic. Thus, we believe in providing excellent treatment for our patients to help them feel relief as soon as possible.
Moreover, some extreme conditions may require you to receive pain medication as the dentist prepares to perform emergency surgery. Upon visiting us, you will receive these pain relief remedies that may be otherwise inaccessible.
Compared to home-based care, visiting a dental clinic gives you access to a higher quality of services, so seeing your dentist for emergencies is advisable. Even when home-based remedies control the pain or discomfort, you should schedule an appointment to allow the dentist to examine you for possible complications. If he/she identifies any health risks like exposed wounds, a proper diagnosis is made to control the condition and optimize your healing capacity.
Common Conditions Requiring Emergency Dentistry
While a patient’s discomfort often warrants timely visits to the dentist, not all cases are classified as emergencies. This is the case, especially when your dental problem does not pose any immediate threats to your oral and general health, nor cause trauma or extreme pain to you. Thus, there are identifiable conditions that will require a dentist’s emergency services over another. This means that the dentist may choose to cancel or delay other people’s appointment times to attend to you, giving you the priority you need.
Learning whether your oral condition qualifies to be a dental emergency is vital, as it may save you from being unsure about your right to receive medical attention. Moreover, you will be more informed on the possibility of suffering from complications, equipping you with details on preventing detrimental effects.
The common conditions requiring emergency dentistry services are:
Tooth Infections
A tooth infection may occur from different sources, including tooth decay from failure to clean the surfaces thoroughly. Additionally, trauma to the oral cavity may cause open wounds in the mouth, leading to additional exposure to disease-causing microorganisms. Often, infections may be less noticeable than other dental emergencies, as the infection process is gradual.
However, some common symptoms will prompt you to seek emergency dentistry to put the situation under control. Firstly, you may notice a sharp pain as you chew using specific teeth, meaning that their nerves may be exposed. Additionally, you may observe that the infected tooth is darker in color, a phenomenon caused by the decaying cells in the pulp and gum areas.
Severe cases also lead to a dental abscess, which arises from the accumulation of pus in the internal tooth structure. Dental abscess symptoms are similar to the general infection signs, as you will also experience extreme pain and discomfort in the affected teeth. Moreover, you may notice an unusual odor developing when treatment is delayed.
Upon coming in for emergency dentistry, we begin by conducting a brief oral examination to identify the affected tooth. This is often easy, as you are also likely to identify it yourself. Afterward, your dentist will check for the cause of infection and the extent of damage caused to the tooth.
If the affected area formed a dental abscess, we could schedule a draining procedure to remove the accumulated pus, clean the tooth and replace the gap with filling. Afterward, your tooth will recover and remain healthy, provided you uphold good hygiene standards.
However, teeth may be completely damaged in some cases, leading to the need for complete tooth extraction. When the dentist determines this to be the best course of action, you may choose to have the extraction immediately or schedule it later. Since the condition is an emergency and causes much pain, most patients choose to have extractions done as soon as possible. This way, you can resume your life with minimal distraction from the recurrent pain.
Continuous Bleeding in the Mouth
Bleeding in the mouth can occur from severe trauma from injuries or accidents. It is often caused by slip-ups when chewing, causing you to bite your tongue or cheeks hard. The bleeding will often stop by itself, depending on your injury. However, if you notice continuous bleeding that seems to worsen even after trying home care remedies, you want to call your dental clinic immediately.
Informing your dentist on how the bleeding started and the specific bleeding area will help him/her make an early progression in diagnosis and finding appropriate treatment. However, you may still have to come into the clinic to have an oral examination performed. This step is necessary where traumatic injuries are severe and pose a threat to your general health.
When in the clinic, we also recommend providing your family history, as you may have a condition leading to low platelet formation. The platelets are responsible for stopping bleeding by forming clots so that a deficiency will result in excessive blood loss. After we run all the necessary tests, we will be equipped to provide the best remedy to control the bleeding.
Cracked or Broken Teeth
While having cracked or broken teeth may not be a dental emergency, the problem arises when the cracked or broken tooth can cause injuries in your mouth. For example, closing your mouth might be difficult if you break an incisor, as the inner lips will constantly be irritated and ruptured. Further, chewing and biting are also strenuous, meaning that you may become malnourished easily if the condition is not remedied.
To avoid these outcomes, you can seek emergency dentistry that will prevent continuous injury to your oral cavity. The dentist may decide to file the tooth if the broken area is not too large, such that the edges of the tooth are smooth and blunt. Alternatively, he/she may extract the tooth and schedule a dental implant procedure, according to your preferences.
In some cases, a new crown without dental implant surgery may do the trick, provided the dentist can merge it with an existing piece of your old crown. The process is preferred as it is inexpensive and fairly quick to complete. Nonetheless, you will have to exercise extreme caution when biting with the artificial crown to avoid breaking it.
Broken Fillings
Fillings play an important role in protecting the inner parts of your tooth structure, especially after having a root extraction, dental abscess removal, or broken tooth fixed. Usually, the filling provides support to help you chew and grind your food comfortably while also providing a barrier that keeps out bacteria from the internal parts. Therefore, losing or breaking a filling requires emergency treatment because exposure to the tooth can cause complications.
You should note that patients who have had their fillings placed a short while before an accident occurs are more vulnerable than those who have had the fillings for longer. This is because the flesh in the newer fixtures is still unhealed, meaning that you could be susceptible to infections, irritation, injury, and bleeding. Nevertheless, patients with older fillings also face a risk if it is dislodged by tearing off the flesh surrounding it.
If you notice continuous bleeding immediately after the filling breaks or dislodges, we advise you to contact your dental clinic as soon as possible and inform your dentist about the situation. In doing this, you will have enabled him/her to prepare for your arrival so that you can have the filling replaced or fixed.
Loose or Broken Dental Implants
Patients who have had dental implant procedures performed on them are often advised to avoid high impact on their faces, as it can dislodge the fixtures. However, unforeseen occurrences may lead to extreme force, causing the implant to become loose or break off completely. For example, biting into a hard solid or trying to open bottles using your teeth is a common reason for broken implants.
It is important to note that as the dental implant heals, your jawbone and gum tissue grows around the metallic fixture and fuses with it, meaning that it becomes a single structure. Consequently, dislodging the implant will likely cause excessive bleeding and excruciating pain to the affected person as the tissues separate from the metal.
On top of this, the open wound is exposed to bacterial infections that may worsen the situation. As a result, visiting our dental clinic for emergency density is vital to help control the bleeding and soothe the wound. Additionally, your dentist is qualified to prescribe some pain medication to reduce its severity as he/she determines the next step in treatment.
Often, you will need to take a few days to recover before the dental implant is returned to its slot in your jawbone. The outcome may also require you to undergo a minor invasive dental surgery if there was extreme tissue damage. Nevertheless, working with your dentist will help you access the best treatment services possible until you make a full recovery.
Importance of Emergency Dentistry
As discussed, seeking emergency dentistry services can mean the difference between treating a serious dental condition and suffering from severe effects. Often, these outcomes may be permanent, leading to a change in your dental structure. For example, a tooth extraction will cause gaps in the gums.
Subsequently, you may also have to incur more expenses to correct the outcomes created by an untreated dental emergency condition. For example, you may want to consider orthodontic treatment after a tooth extraction to ensure your teeth are properly aligned.
The following are the benefits of emergency dentistry services:
- Your treatment is prioritized, giving you expeditious remedies.
- You receive relief from pain or discomfort from a proper diagnosis.
- Your condition is identified early to avoid complications.
- You can access the services at any time.
- We organize follow-up appointments to monitor recovery.
The Cost of Emergency Dentistry
Since different patients suffer from varying emergency conditions, the cost of emergency treatment varies. For example, a condition requiring emergency dental surgery can be quite expensive due to the invasive procedure.
On the other hand, a patient looking to have their bracket or wire replaced may be less expensive, as the procedure is less demanding. Therefore, we recommend contacting the dental clinic after deciding to seek emergency treatment. This will help you determine an estimate of the treatment cost to avoid inconvenience.
Nonetheless, most insurance covers will cater to emergency dental services, primarily because they are essential medical processes. Thus, we advise you to contact your medical insurance provider to learn more about the cover accessible to you.
If you prefer making payments in installments, we are happy to discuss a payment plan that accommodates your preferences. Overall, the primary goal is to provide excellent emergency dental services for your well-being, regardless of the expenses.
Contact an Emergency Dentist Near Me
When an unexpected experience leads to a dental emergency, you want to seek treatment as soon as possible. The professional diagnosis and treatment you receive from an experienced dentist help alleviate dental problems that may be recurrent if not treated properly. Hence, finding a highly experienced dentist is essential to help you make a full recovery.
Obtaining emergency dental services from Washington Dental is a brilliant step towards determining your problem and receiving the ideal treatment. In our clinic, you are in the hands of qualified and well-experienced dentists who care for your well-being. Over the years, we have handled numerous dental emergency cases, making us well equipped to treat you accordingly. If you or a loved one requires emergency dentistry services in Carson, California, reach us today at 310-217-1507.