Emergency Dental Services
Lincoln Park, NJ
 Dental emergencies can occur at any time of the day. You can get an injury in the dead of night or even on the road traveling. How you handle the emergency and the ability to get prompt care matters. Not all dental practitioners offer emergency dental care.
However, at The Implant Center at Comprehensive Dental, we give priority to emergency patients. Some dental cases can be classified as emergencies. We prioritize cases based on their risk level and the need to salvage the tooth. Our emergency dentistry services are discussed below.
Severe Tooth Pain
Toothaches are common dental emergencies characterized by persistent and severe pain in or around a tooth. If your toothache is bearable, you do not have to make an emergency visit. Even so, if you feel that the pain is beyond your capacity to bear it, you are allowed to come in for emergency care. Tooth pain can be due to various reasons, including cavities, tooth decay, infections, gum disease, or trauma to the tooth.
Emergency toothache treatment starts with a thorough examination to determine the source of the pain. We may use diagnostic tools like X-rays and clinical evaluations to identify issues like cavities, infections, or structural damage.
Once the cause is identified, appropriate treatment is administered. Common treatments for toothache include cavity filling, root canal therapy, administration of antibiotics, and tooth pain management. Prompt treatment of toothaches alleviates pain and prevents further complications, such as abscess formation, which can lead to more severe health issues.
Severely Chipped or Broken Teeth
Chipped or broken teeth are common dental emergencies. These situations are mainly caused by dental trauma, accidents, or biting on hard objects. Such injuries can cause significant discomfort and sensitivity and impact the aesthetics of your smile. Emergency dental services focus on quickly repairing or stabilizing the damaged teeth to restore function and appearance.
You do not have to rush to the emergency room for minor chips. Pick the broken tooth or chipped part and keep it in your saliva. You should arrive with the broken piece at the dental office within 24 hours to be able to save the tooth. Such teeth can be repaired through dental bonding or the application of tooth-colored resin.
Severely broken tooth repair options include a root canal followed by a crown, which might be required to save and restore the tooth. Stabilizing teeth with a temporary crown or splint may be necessary for teeth that are cracked but not broken. Once you arrive at the dentist, an appropriate treatment will be applied.
Emergency Treatment for Knocked-Out Tooth
If you have suffered from a knocked-out tooth for one reason or another, do not worry much. A knocked-out tooth, also known as an avulsed tooth, requires urgent care from the patient and a dentist to save it. The chances of successful replantation are highest when treatment is received within 30 minutes to an hour after the injury.
When a tooth is knocked out, it should be handled by the crown, rinsed gently with water, and placed back into the socket if possible. If it is impossible to return to the site, the tooth should be kept moist in milk or saliva until dental care is received.
If you have gotten to the office in a timely manner, our dentists will clean the tooth and socket and attempt to reinsert the tooth. The tooth is then splinted to adjacent teeth to stabilize it while the supporting tissues heal. You may be required to return to the office to monitor the healing process and ensure the tooth remains stable. Root canal therapy may be needed later to address potential damage to the tooth pulp.
Lost Dental Restorations
Damaged or lost dental restorations are rarely treated as a dental emergency, but in some cases, they are. If, for instance, you lose your dentures, you will not be able to eat or even speak properly. This situation will require an urgent visit to the dentist, and sometimes, you may be unable to wait for an appointment.
When restorations such as fillings and crowns are lost, it can expose the underlying tooth to further damage, sensitivity, and pain. Emergency dental services are essential to replace or repair these restorations promptly.
If a filling or crown is lost, a temporary restoration may be applied to protect the tooth and prevent further damage or sensitivity until a permanent solution can be implemented. A crown can often be cleaned and re-cemented if it has come off intact. If the crown is damaged, a new crown will be made and placed. The dentist will also check for any underlying issues, such as decay or damage, that might have caused the restoration to fail.
Pain Caused by Abscesses or Infections
Dental abscesses and infections are severe conditions that require immediate attention. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket caused by a bacterial infection, often resulting in severe pain, swelling, and fever. Infections can spread to other body parts if left untreated, leading to more severe health problems.
Emergency dentistry makes room for attending to such issues when they occur. Abscesses can be very painful and require urgent dental care. In such cases, our dentist will address the situation. The primary treatment for an abscess is draining the pus to reduce infection and alleviate pain. This is done by making a small incision in the abscess to allow the pus to escape.
If the abscess is due to an infected tooth, root canal therapy may be necessary to remove the infected tissue and save the tooth. You may also receive antibiotics to eliminate the infection and prevent it from spreading. They are often used in conjunction with other treatments.
Soft Tissue Injuries and Bleeding
Soft tissue injuries in the mouth, such as cuts, lacerations, and tears to the lips, gums, or tongue, are common dental emergencies often resulting from accidents, sports injuries, or falls. These injuries can cause significant bleeding, pain, and risk of infection. If you suffer from these, rush to a dentist for immediate dental care to prevent further issues.
Call Us in Lincoln Park, NJ Today if You Have Emergency Dental Needs!
Dental emergencies do not accord you the time needed for a regular appointment. For this reason, you need a reliable dentist to look after you in such cases. At The Implant Center at Comprehensive Dental, we are dedicated to ensuring dental emergencies are addressed urgently. If you have suffered a knocked-out tooth or any other form of dental trauma, call us at (973) 578-6377 right away. |
