What to Do if You Have a Weekend Dental Emergency
Dental emergencies can happen at any time and make you panic. But a weekend dental emergency is especially stressful. It might seem impossible to get weekend dental care, but it’s not. Where can I find a dentist open on weekends then? Is there even an emergency dentist near me? Do you know an emergency dentist in Los Angeles? We’ve got the answers to all of your questions. In this article, we will tell you about different dental emergencies that need to be treated immediately and guide you through each of them.
Identifying a Weekend Dental Emergency
Not every mild toothache or swelling is a weekend dental emergency. Dental emergencies are a set of serious conditions that need to be treated right away or they will get worse and even become life-threatening. So before you start googling “emergency dentist near me” or “dentist open on weekends”, determine if you’re actually experiencing an emergency and need weekend dental care.
If you do, then call an emergency dentist and tell him about your condition. He will probably ask you to come in. Until your appointment, take some painkillers and use an ice pack to fight the pain. At the clinic, the dentist will examine your mouth and take x-rays to identify the root of the problem. To make the process easier, Dr. Michael Kezian, a weekend emergency dentist in Los Angeles, charges a base fee for diagnosis and x-rays. This may include antibiotic prescriptions, irritated gum cleanings, and other basic adjustments. This way you don’t have to worry about extra costs.
Types of Emergencies Treated by a Weekend Emergency Dentist
A good oral hygiene routine can help you steer clear of a weekend dental emergency, but sometimes accidents and unhealthy dental habits can lead to one. Here we will take a look at the most common emergencies that need immediate weekend dental care otherwise they will become worse and more dangerous.
Dental Pain
Mild toothaches are not unusual. They are caused by small cavities and don’t count as an emergency. What does count as a weekend dental emergency is a sudden and unbearable pain that spreads throughout your mouth and becomes worse by applying pressure on it. When you feel this kind of pain, you need to seek weekend dental care, or the pain will get worse and create a weird odor in your mouth
This type of dental pain is caused by deeper cavities that form as a result of bad oral hygiene. The deeper the cavity, the stronger the pain. But cavities are not the only cause of severe dental pain. Fractures, pulpal inflammations, and wisdom teeth can create this unendurable pain too. Home remedies include painkillers and a cold compress, but this is not something you can treat at home and needs the attention of a weekend emergency dentist.
After examining your mouth and taking x-rays, the dentist will decide on the best course of action. If the pain is radiating from a decayed tooth, the dentist will numb your mouth and drill the tooth to get rid of the decay. He will then clean the empty spot and fill it with your chosen type of filling. You might need a root canal therapy if you have a deeper cavity. Here the dentist will drill your tooth farther until it reaches the pulp, where your tooth’s nerves are. He will get rid of the damaged part and disinfect the root canal, covering it with a crown to protect it.
Tooth Fracture
The enamel covering your teeth is a strong mineralized shell, but not immune to accidents. Sports-related traumas and hard food can fracture the enamel and lead to broken or chipped teeth. A fractured tooth can become painful, sensitive, and even infected if not treated immediately by a weekend emergency dentist.
Take over-the-counter painkillers until your appointment and try to find the fractured part of your tooth to take with you to the dentist. The dentist can easily repair minor fractures with a dental filling. If a front tooth is broken, he will apply an adhesive to the tooth and place bonding over it for a more natural appearance.
If a larger piece of your tooth is fractured or you have underlying cavities, the dentist will use a dental veneer or a crown. Veneers are better for front teeth because they are custom-made based on an impression of your tooth, with a color resembling your natural teeth. The dentist will cement the veneer to your broken tooth and secure it in place with light. For deeper fractures, the dentist might also perform a root canal therapy and cover your tooth with a protective crown.
Dental Avulsion
Tooth avulsion is a common injury in contact sports where a blow to the face can knock your tooth out of its place. This weekend dental emergency looks more dangerous than it is, but the tooth can be saved if you keep it safe and visit your weekend emergency dentist within an hour of the accident. Keeping the tooth in your cheek or milk can preserve it until your visit. If it’s out of the socket completely, you can even try and put it back in until you see an emergency dentist near you.
The dentist will clean out the empty socket and put your tooth back in, splinting it to your other teeth for support until it binds to the bone within a few weeks. The dentist will schedule follow-up appointments to make sure the process is going well. If the tooth isn’t fusing back to the bone or you couldn’t even find the avulsed tooth in the first place, you have other restorative options such as implants and dentures.
Dislodged Filling, Crown, and Veneer
No matter how good your dental crown, filling, or veneer is, it’s not immune to natural wearing and accidents and it can fall off. This exposes the underlying tooth and causes pain and sensitivity. So a dislodged crown, filling, or veneer needs weekend dental care from a weekend emergency dentist near you. Like other emergent cases, you can ease the pain with over-the-counter painkillers until you see your dentist.
If you have a minor filling dislodgement, the dentist will replace it with another filling, but if the damage is more severe, he will place a crown over the exposed tooth.
If a crown or veneer is completely dislodged, you can place it back with dental cement until your appointment or keep it in gauze and take it with you. This will save you the cost of a new one. If you’re in Los Angeles, you can visit Dr. Michael Kezian for your dislodged crown, filling, or veneer. He is an emergency dentist in Los Angeles and will recement the dislodged piece in the same appointment.
Soft Tissue Damage
A weekend dental emergency doesn’t have to be limited to your teeth. It can involve the soft tissues in your mouth too. Your gums, cheeks, inside of your lips, and tongue are all soft tissues with many blood vessels that can bleed easily following an injury or accidental biting. Most cases are not serious and the bleeding will stop soon, but if you’re bleeding uncontrollably, you need to get weekend dental care. So start looking for a dentist open on weekends as you wash your mouth with salt water and apply pressure to your injury. Your emergency dentist will clean the area and treat it, stitching the wound if it’s too severe.
Dental Abscess and Swelling
If you floss or brush your teeth too aggressively, you can injure your gums and create a place for bacteria to accumulate and cause infection. Then your gums will become swollen and the infected area will be filled with pus. If the abscess breaks, the pus can travel further into your body and spread the infection. So this is a serious and life-threatening weekend dental emergency. Pain, swelling, bleeding, and a weird taste in the mouth are all symptoms to look out for. If you notice any of them, call your weekend emergency dentist immediately.
The best way to remove the abscess is by drainage. This is done by your emergency dentist under local anesthesia. He will make a small cut in the abscess and drain the pus. If the case is worse and drainage isn’t possible, he will prescribe you antibiotics to get rid of the infection. Your dentist might decide to perform a root canal therapy to remove all traces of the infection. He will first calm it down with painkillers and antibiotics and then make a schedule for the root canal therapy. Sometimes the infection becomes much worse and your dentist has no choice but to extract your tooth. But be careful to not let it get any worse and delay your visit to the weekend emergency dentist or you might end up in a hospital.
Other Types of Weekend Dental Emergencies
These were just some of the weekend dental emergencies you need to be mindful of. Getting things stuck between your teeth, facial traumas that can block your airway, denture adjustments, or suture removals can be emergencies too.
If you’re still not sure that your condition is a weekend dental emergency or not, you can find a dentist open on weekends and ask him. If you’re in California, you can reach out to Dr. Michael Kezian, a weekend emergency dentist in Los Angeles. Dr. Michael Kezian and his caring team are available even on weekends to tend to your oral health and dental emergencies. So call the office of Dr. Michael Kezian the next time you have a weekend dental emergency, tell him about it and make an appointment to get it treated as soon as possible.
Larchmont Dental Associates
Dr. Michael A. Kezian DDS
581 N. Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 465-2127
https://www.larchmontdentists.com
References:
- American Dental Association – What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?
- Colgate –Injured Tooth: What Should I Do?
- Canadian Dental Association – Dental Emergencies