Hi I'm Dr. Julie Ann Valde and I get a lot of questions about dental emergencies so I'm here to answer some of those questions.
What is considered a dental emergencies?
So what I consider to be dental emergencies are number number one when someone is in pain so if you're in pain and you don't know exactly what is going on, please come on in and I can diagnose and assess what the cause of that pain is. So number one it's pain. Number two, it could be swellings and it doesn't have to be painful, but you may feel a swelling in the gums and you're kind of worried so come on in and I can diagnose that too, check it out. The other thing too is swellings, pain also, maybe a cracked tooth. You know you see that there's a crack in your tooth and you're just like hey you're wondering is this going to hurt so I would consider an emergency I'd like to see that. And even some just sensitivity, so biting sensitivity. We get a lot of patients that come in and say oh I've got some biting sensitivity can I come in I'm like oh most definitely let's get you in. Is it an emergency? Yes because you know it hasn't happened before it's something new, something sudden, it can be painful. The pain can vary it can be light pain or a lot of pain and it could be swelling and also bleeding. So bleeding gums, bleeding teeth, bleeding tongue maybe that can be considered an emergency so call me when you have any of those findings.
When do I need to see an emergency dentist versus going to the emergency room versus scheduling a regular dental appointment?
Okay so when you want to see me is when you do have what I described above. So you have some pain and the pain can be mild, it can be moderate, it can be a lot, or if you have bleeding, if you have any swelling, questionable fractures in your teeth all of those you should see me. You don't have to go to an emergency room because an emergency room is when you know something serious is happening with your medical health maybe you have difficulty breathing or you have pain down the side of your arm which could indicate a heart problem. So anything related to the mouth even the face I can see but if you're having trouble breathing or just generally not feeling well you should go to an emergency room. And then also just scheduling dental appointments for non-emergency things like oh you needed a filling and that needed to be done that can be scheduled on a regular dental appointment and not an emergency.
What are common types of dental emergencies and what can be done?
So common types of dental emergencies let's say you broke your tooth and the tooth has broken down to the gum line that's an emergency, and I can see you for that maybe we can fix the tooth maybe we it needs to be extracted. Other things like pain in a lot of pain that doesn't go away and if you take a pain med it still doesn't go away it wakes you up at night I should see that too and I can treat that. Swellings of the gums come on in I can see if there's if you have a periodontal disease going on or if you have an infection in the gums that needs to be taken care of that I should see. You know, chipped fractured teeth, that can cause some pain too so I can do a filling on that. Gums, the tongue or some people have like pain in their gums or on the sides of their tongue and I can take a look at that too that could be a cold sore or just some kind of virus that is showing up and I can take a look and I can assess and see if you need to be sent to a specialist or if there are other things that we can do to help you out of pain.
When do I need an emergency dental extraction?
So emergency dental extractions are definitely when you have a lot of pain so some people break their teeth and they have no pain but an emergency is when you actually do have pain because we do need to take you out of pain and the best way is just to do the extraction that day. The other thing too is if there's an infection along and you need that tooth extracted so definitely that is a reason to come and get that tooth extracted.
Do you offer same day care?
I do offer same-day care so if you do have an emergency and you need me to check it out just call the office and we will appoint you as soon as we can that day. Our philosophy is any emergency we have to see that day so definitely I offer same-day care.
Can I be seen on the weekends?
Yes you can be seen on the weekends so I do take emergency calls. You will be able to get in touch with me and we can make arrangements so that I can come over to the office and then I can help you with your emergency. So yes.
So this is Dr. Julie Ann Valde and I hope I've answered some of your questions about emergency dentistry and hopefully you don't have to that many but if you do please call our office (805) 554-0018.
If you experience a dental emergency, be sure to call our practice as soon as possible. If you need immediate attention after hours, call our emergency phone number and our on-call staff member will help you. If you are unable to reach our office during an emergency, dial 911.
We are here to help you, any time, any day. When your dental health is at risk, we will do everything we can to make sure that you're treated as soon as possible. While dental emergencies are rare, they can happen, and it's important to know how to take care of your teeth no matter what. Common dental emergencies include:
- Broken or cracked tooth/teeth
- Broken jaw
- Permanent tooth knocked out
- Object caught between teeth
- Severe toothache