Dental emergencies are often very frightening and painful. Most people are unsure of what precisely makes up a dental emergency, aren’t sure who to call or what to do. Dr. Michael Kezian DDS, a Los Angeles Emergency Dentist and his staff want you to know the following things in order to handle your dental emergency in the best, most efficient manner.

Is it urgent? If you’re having pain over the weekend and feel like you need to come in right away, it’s important to know if it’s something that can wait or needs to be taken care of right away. Most dental offices are closed over the weekend and are unable to treat you for your Emergency Dental Care. Obviously, your Emergency Dentist Los Angeles is the best place to call when you experience a dental emergency, but in some cases it may be best to go to the emergency room straight away. The general rule is, if you’re experiencing unbearable bleeding and pain that cannot be stopped and your dentist’s office is closed, you should go to the Emergency Room or Urgent care.

What are examples of non-urgent dental emergencies?

• Lost fillings, crowns and dental bridges
• Broken or cracked teeth that are not causing you severe pain
• Food trapped between teeth
• Dull toothache
• Broken or damaged retainer, night-guard or prosthesis
• Inflammation around wisdom teeth
• Loose, broken and poking orthodontic brackets and wires.

If you’re experiencing one or more of the following, it does not constitute a dental emergency but Dr. Michael A. Kezian, DDS still recommends you contact your dentist as soon as possible to get an appointment set, however it is usually not crucial that you be seen right away or go to the emergency room. Waiting will be okay.

The following examples constitute an urgent dental emergency:

• Bleeding that doesn’t stop
• Loose and knocked out permanent teeth
• An injured or dislocated jaw
• Painful swelling
• Painful toothache that doesn’t let you sleep or function

If you’re experiencing one or several of the items listed above, it’s important you call a Emergency Dentist Los Angeles right away to schedule for Emergency Dental Care. Emergency dentists have emergency numbers if you need to come in during non-operating hours and will come in to help treat you with your Emergency Dental Care. If you are unable to contact The Larchmont Dental Associates for whatever reason, it’s important that you visit your local emergency room in the event of an urgent dental emergency to seek treatment.

What should you do if you’re at home and have a dental emergency? Depending on the type of emergency you’re experiencing, there can be many things you can do to alleviate the pain. Most importantly, you must remain calm. When you’re scared and anxiety filled, your body triggers a number of responses in your body that make the emergency worse – Remaining calm while seeking help is your best bet!

Some at home remedies to ease pain until a dental professional can see you:

• Gargle with warm salt water to reduce swelling
• Applying clove oil to the tooth to alleviate pain
• Swish your mouth with peroxide to help kill bacteria.
• Flossing is also a great way to remove debris and food stuck in between restorations and gum tissue.
• Using tweezers or a pencil eraser to put your orthodontic wire back into place and using wax to cover pointy ends to reduce irritation to soft tissues.

  

If you’ve knocked out your tooth, immediately place the tooth in a glass of milk until you can see your Emergency Dentist Los Angeles in order to keep it alive! If the tooth has been dislodged or loosened from its socket by trauma or decay, it may be possible to save the tooth. When the tooth remains in the mouth and has a source of blood vessels and nerves there is a good chance root canal therapy may not be needed.  If you notice a yellow or red pimple do not pop or drain it! Let your dental professional do that but scheduling an appointment with them in order to get the proper Emergency Dental Care. Brush and floss our teeth accordingly in that area. Do not leave it that way for long, most likely you will need a root canal and the abscess shows there is an infection present. Antibiotics and x-rays will be necessary to see the extent of the infection. Infection may even lead to swelling of the face. If you’re having a tooth ache, use the 3-3-3 method: taking three Motrin’s or Advil’s (600 mg total) three times a day for three days until your dental visit. When you go in for your dental visit the dentist will take x-rays and examine the area to determine the best way to address it.

To prevent further emergencies in the future it’s important to see your dental care professional at least once or twice a year to have your teeth checked out. When things are diagnosed and taken care of in a timely manner, dental emergencies are prevented. If your dental professional recommends a treatment, usually things don’t get better and will get worse with time so it’s important to get it taken care of the sooner the better. Good oral hygiene like brushing, flossing is important to keep the oral tissues and teeth healthy. Avoiding really hard foods like candies, chewy things like caramel or gun, beef jerky and hard breads is also helpful. If you’re prone to periodontal problems you should ask your Emergency Dentist Los Angeles if you need to have additional visits per year to make sure your oral health is maintained properly. Also, if you play sports, wearing a mouth guard may be vital in protecting your teeth from sports traumas.

Dental emergencies are frightening and never fun. Knowing how to handle them can make the biggest difference and save you a lot of time, hassle and money. It’s important the contact the appropriate professional to get your Emergency Dental Care taken care of properly. When you see your Emergency Dentist Los Angeles the dentist will focus on the problem area first by taking digital x-rays of the specific areas in the mouth. The goal is to address an acute issue and accurately diagnose and recommend treatment to alleviate swelling, pain and infection. Depending on the issue you are experiencing, your Emergency Dentist Los Angeles may even be able to provide treatment the very same day and or prescribe antibiotics to address an infection and to complete the treatment once the infection has cleared. Most major emergencies require more than one visit like root canals, deep cleanings and crowns. Once you see your Emergency Dentist Los Angeles for Emergency Dental Care it’s important to continue to visit for your regular check-up and cleaning to keep your over all smile healthy and bright.

Larchmont Dental Associates – 581 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 465-2127 – https://www.larchmontdentists.com/