Dental Emergencies

Georgian Dental Offers Urgent Care

Dental emergencies are never planned. We understand that these emergencies can happen unexpectedly and disrupt your daily life. Whether you’re dealing with sudden tooth pain, a broken tooth, or a dislodged filling, these situations require urgent attention to prevent further complications and unnecessary pain.

That’s why we offer same-day or next-day appointments for urgent dental issues.

Below we’ll explain how we typically handle dental emergencies and how to get in touch with us to secure an emergency visit as soon as possible. Our goal is to provide our patients with efficient and compassionate care, ensuring your dental health is restored in a timely manner.

What is a Dental Emergency?

In many cases, you’ll be able to determine what constitutes a dental emergency. They are usually quite painful! A dental emergency involves any oral health issue that requires immediate attention to alleviate pain, prevent damage, or treat a serious infection. While some issues can wait for a scheduled appointment, others – like severe toothaches, broken teeth, or infections – cannot.

The type of dental emergencies we see most often include:

• Severe tooth pain or sensitivity
• Knocked-out, broken, or chipped teeth
• Dental abscesses or infections
• Loose or missing fillings and crowns
• Broken braces and wires
• Bleeding from the gums or soft tissues of the mouth
• Swelling or trauma to the face, mouth, or jaw.

If you’re experiencing any of these issues, it’s important to act quickly to prevent the situation from worsening.

For more serious issues, like broken facial bones or anything that is affecting your breathing, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

How We Handle Dental Emergencies

When a dental emergency strikes, you want to know that you have timely care available to you. At Georgian Dental, we have a streamlined process in place to ensure you can get the help you need as quickly as possible.

1. Call before 11:00 am to help get a faster appointment

We understand that emergencies are unpredictable, which is why we offer fast-track appointments for urgent cases. If you can call us before 11:00 am, we will do our best to accommodate a same-day appointment. Our goal is to address your issue as quickly as possible to relieve pain, treat the cause of the problem, and prevent further damage.

By giving us a call early on in the day, we can try and adjust our schedule and prioritize your emergency. If same-day appointments are fully booked, we will offer a next-day appointment to ensure you don’t have to wait long for proper treatment.

2. Getting on a Cancellation List

In addition to fast-tracking emergency cases, we also maintain a list of patients who are available for cancellation appointments. This means if another patient cancels their appointment, we can offer that time slot to someone with an urgent need. If you have a dental emergency and would like to be considered for the next cancellation spot, give us a call and we’ll add you to the list.

3. Efficient Triage for Urgent Dental Cases

When you contact us for a dental emergency, our team will ask you a few questions to better understand the severity of your situation. This allows us to prioritize cases based on the urgency of the problem. For example, severe pain, swelling, and infection will typically be treated immediately, while less severe issues may be scheduled for the next available slot.

Rest assured that no matter when your dental emergency entails, we’ll work diligently to fit you in for treatment as soon as possible.

Common Dental Emergencies

At Georgian Dental, we frequently see a wide variety of dental emergencies. Below are some of the most common:

1. Broken or Chipped Tooth

Accidents happen! Broken or chipped teeth are some of the most common dental emergencies we treat. Whether you’ve injured your tooth during a fall, while playing sports, or by biting into something hard, it’s important to seek treatment right away. Even small chips or cracks can lead to further damage or infection if left untreated.

What to Expect During Treatment

In most cases, a broken tooth can be repaired with a dental bonding material, crown, or veneer. If the damage is more severe, we may need to perform a root canal or extraction, followed by a restorative solution, such as a crown or dental implant.

2. Severe Toothache or Sensitivity

Tooth pain can range from mild discomfort to severe, throbbing pain that interferes with your ability to eat, sleep, or go about your day. This type of pain is often the sign of an underlying problem, such as severe tooth decay, an abscess, or gum disease. All of which require prompt attention.

What to Expect During Treatment

During an emergency appointment for tooth pain, we’ll examine the affected tooth and surrounding tissue to determine the cause. Treatment may involve filling a cavity, performing a root canal, draining an abscess, or in some cases, extracting the tooth if it’s too damaged to save.

3. Knocked-Out Teeth (Avulsed Teeth)

A knocked-out tooth is one of the most urgent dental emergencies. If treated quickly, the tooth can sometimes be saved. If your tooth has been knocked out due to trauma or an accident, it’s important to keep it clean and contact us immediately. The best chance of saving the tooth occurs within the first hour of the incident.

If possible, gently place the knocked-out tooth back into the socket without touching the root or store it in a glass or milk or saline solution while you head to our office.

What to Expect During Treatment

If the tooth can be reinserted and stabilized within the first hour, it may reattach to the socket. However, if reattachment isn’t possible, we’ll discuss restorative options such as dental implants or bridges.

4. Broken Braces and Wires

Orthodontic emergencies, such as broken braces or wires, can cause discomfort and even damage on the inside of your mouth. If a wire is poking you or a bracket has come loose, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible to avoid further complications or damage.

What to Expect During Treatment

We’ll adjust or repair the broken component to ensure your braces continue working as they should. If an immediate fix isn’t possible, we’ll make temporary adjustments to alleviate discomfort until a permanent repair can be made.

5. Lost Fillings or Crowns

Losing a filling or crown can be distressing, especially if it exposes the underlying tooth to discomfort or pain. A missing filling or crown can leave your tooth vulnerable to infection or further damage, so it’s crucial to have it replaced as soon as possible.

What to Expect During Treatment

In an emergency appointment, we’ll assess the tooth and replace the lost filling or crown. If the damage to the tooth is significant, we may recommend additional treatments such as a root canal or new crown.

6. Abscesses and Infections

A dental abscess is a painful infection at the root of the tooth or in the gums. They often cause severe pain, swelling, and sensitivity. If left untreated, an abscess or infection can lead to serious health complications. Dental abscesses require prompt treatment to stop the infection from spreading throughout your body.

What to Expect During Treatment

Abscess treatment typically involves draining the infection, followed by antibiotics to clear the infection. In more severe cases, a root canal or tooth extraction may be necessary.

7. Emergency Tooth Extractions

In some cases, a tooth may be too damaged or decayed to save. This requires an emergency extraction. While we always aim to try and preserve natural teeth whenever possible, extraction may be the best option in some situations to prevent infection or damage to the surrounding teeth.

What to Expect During Treatment

Emergency extractions are performed under local anesthesia to ensure you remain comfortable throughout the procedure. After the tooth is removed, we’ll discuss options for replacing it, such as dental implants or bridges.

Reduce Your Risk of Dental Emergencies

Some dental emergencies are unavoidable. However, the below steps can help reduce your risk!

• Maintain good oral hygiene – Brushing and flossing regularly can help prevent cavities, gum disease, and infections.
• Wear a mouthguard during sports – If you play contact sports, wearing a mouthguard can protect your teeth from injury.
• Avoid chewing hard objects – Biting down on ice, hard candy, or non-food items can cause chips and cracks in your teeth.
• Attend regular dental check-ups – Routine dental check-ups can help catch potential problems early before they become emergencies.

What to Do in a Dental Emergency

If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, it’s important to stay calm and take the following steps:

1. Call us immediately! Contact us as soon as possible to schedule an emergency appointment. If you call before 11:00 am, we’ll do our best to get you in for a same-day appointment. Otherwise, we’ll book you for our next available slot.
2. Manage pain or discomfort. Over-the-country pain relievers can help alleviate discomfort until you can see us. Cold compresses can also reduce swelling.
3. Preserve the tooth (if applicable). If you’ve lost a tooth, crown, or filling, try to preserve it and bring it with you to the appointment.

We’re Here for Your Emergency Dental Needs

At Georgian Dental, we know that dental emergencies require prompt and efficient care. That’s why we make it our priority to see emergency patients quickly to provide the relief and treatment needed. Whether you’re dealing with a broken tooth, severe pain, or an orthodontic emergency, our experienced team is here to help.

If you’re facing a dental emergency, don’t hesitate – call us now to secure a fast appointment! Our friendly and compassionate staff are here to help you get relief.

Book your emergency dental appointment now by 705-710-9487.