No one can plan for an emergency – that’s just their nature. But you must seek treatment as soon as possible when a dental emergency does happen.
Our teeth aren’t just for chewing food and creating the perfect smile: they also play a vital role in our health. As a result, damage to our teeth can have a lasting impact on our overall health and well-being.
From relieving constant pain to preventing infections from spreading and subsequently affecting other organs, repairing any damage to your mouth is essential. Early treatment also equals faster recovery and is less costly to your insurance policy, deductible, and wallet.
Identifying when we need to go to the dentist can save time and prevent further issues later. While this may mean you cut your camping trip short or you have to leave a family event earlier than expected, your health is our first concern.
Let’s take a look at the 4 top reasons you may need emergency dental services.
This is usually the first indication that tells us that there is something wrong.
While some people will get slight pain from sensitivity to hot or cold food and liquids, which should also be addressed as soon as possible, any discomfort that lasts more than a few days should prompt you to seek help.
The pain is not always localized to just the tooth, either. Pain in your ears, headaches that last longer than normal, or even pain in your jaw surrounding the tooth or everywhere combined at the same time will let you know that there is a problem that needs to be addressed.
This could indicate abscesses, infections in the gum or the pulp inside the tooth due to cavities or trauma. Should this infection seep into the jawbone, this could lead to painful and costly issues requiring more invasive and aggressive treatments.
If the abscess ruptures and the infection enters the bloodstream, it can spread to other organs such as the kidneys or liver.
Sometimes crowns can come loose, braces can be broken, and fillings swallowed. Any damage that occurs to any form of prosthetic needs to be addressed quickly.
You have these in place for a reason, so when it fails or breaks, they need to be repaired or replaced urgently for the long-term care it’s used for to continue.
Food can get stuck in the hole left behind when things like crowns or fillings become loose or fall out. Even with regular brushing and flossing, it might not be easy to remove, and sometimes we don’t know it’s there until the pain starts.
If a piece of wire on your braces breaks, not only will this feel uncomfortable on the surrounding teeth with the tension lessening, but the damaged wire can penetrate the gums, lips, or cheek, depending on where it breaks. This can lead to sores and bleeding.
This can all lead to infection and inconsolable pain, which needs to be treated as quickly as possible.
The term trauma can apply to teeth in different ways.
We consider anything that causes damage to the tooth and gums a traumatic experience. While we may not immediately see the trauma symptoms, we should check you out. A dental X-Ray can show signs of damage before the problem worsens and you begin to suffer.
Should you notice a tooth becoming discoloured, dislodged, or even chipped, there is still time to repair any damage before the situation worsens.
A discoloured tooth can signify that the root is dead or the pulp inside the tooth is infected. The tooth could rot away and fall out if left for too long. Any infection that arises, as a result, can get into the surrounding gums and even the bone, leading to further complications.
A canker sore is normal and generally affects a lot of people. However, if it won’t heal and has been present for over two weeks, this is cause for concern.
It can be an outward sign that the infection is deeper than the surface of the skin or gums and could need to be treated with a more aggressive course of medications than the typical over-the-counter ones you can purchase. Your dental team will need to determine this.
For emergency dental services in Oakville, come and meet our friendly and professionally trained team, as we have served the families of Oakville and the surrounding areas for over 20 years.
We will assess and triage your call and accommodate your dental emergency, providing you with the urgent care and attention you require, often with same-day appointments if you call first thing in the morning. And our office hours allow us to accommodate even the busiest of patients.
Take comfort in knowing that we have the latest technology on-site, allowing most emergency issues to be resolved on the same day, and taking out the need for multiple appointments and visits.
Treatments such as inlays, onlays, crowns, and veneers can all be resolved with the CEREC Machine, which provides new prosthetics on-site in just a few hours.
We also provide many other services, from family dentistry to children’s dentistry and cosmetic services, and our friendly team looks forward to speaking to you soon.
Call us at 647-496-2721 or click here to discuss any emergency issues you may be experiencing.