Even if you take excellent care of your teeth & mouth, sometimes an unforeseen incident could put you in need of emergency dental care. Whether the culprit for your emergency is an injury, a rogue popcorn kernel, or just a mystery toothache, our dental clinic is here for you in an emergency.
First of all, if you are experiencing a dental-related emergency that is potentially life-threatening, you should contact emergency medical services immediately (by calling 911 in the U.S. & Canada; 999 in the United Kingdom; or 000 in Australia).
If you have a dental emergency during our regular clinic hours, we should be able to accommodate you & get you in as soon as possible. When you call us, be clear that you are in pain & are having an emergency & we will make sure the dentist is available for you.
If you are in need of emergency dental care when our practice is closed, our phone answering service will receive your call & contact the dentist. The dentist will be able to provide advice or arrange to see you at our office as soon as possible if your situation is urgent.
The most common cause of a dental emergency is an injury, whether from sports, a fall, or another kind of accident. As mentioned above, if the injury may be life-threatening, contact emergency services before contacting the dentist. If the injury is not life-threatening, you should call us as soon as possible so we can provide advice & arrange to see you.
Another common reason for emergency dental care is a toothache. Toothaches can be caused by infections resulting from poor oral hygiene, but they can also result from a dental injury that has turned into an abscess. For example, if you took a tumble off your skateboard & bumped your face but didn’t see any damage at the time, it’s possible for pain to appear later on.
Toothaches can also be caused by a cracked tooth or a cracked filling that has become infected. Chances are when you crack a tooth you’ll feel it happen at the time, whether you’re biting down on a hard candy (naughty!) or a stray bone in your chicken dinner. If you think you may have cracked a tooth, crown, or filling, even if you don’t have a toothache, it’s a good idea to contact us as soon as possible for emergency dental care, just so we can take a quick look & make sure you don’t need further treatment.
