When you get a toothache, we can perform an emergency dentist procedure to help you feel better. There are several reasons why a tooth may start to hurt. Sometimes food gets stuck in between two teeth or a tooth and gums. Other times a cavity has grown and become painful or the dental pulp has become infected. We can treat all of these problems and help you to feel better.
The reason, that root canals are such common emergency procedures, is due to why a tooth starts hurting in the first place. In order to experience a sharp and sudden toothache, your nerves need to be touched or impacted in some way. When the dental pulp or soft center of your tooth becomes infected, it will lead to this level of discomfort because the tooth roots run through the dental pulp. Many people schedule an appointment due to the resulting toothache.
If you need this emergency dentistry procedure, we will start by giving you sedation so that you can feel comfortable during the entire appointment. We will then make a small hole in the tooth in order to remove the infected dental pulp. If your roots are infected, we will remove them as well so that the infection cannot spread into the jawbone and floor of the mouth. While root canals have a reputation for being uncomfortable, thanks to sedation, you can have the infection removed comfortably. This is important because it will eliminate the discomfort you are feeling and help to save your tooth from needing to be pulled.
After the infection, has been removed, and the area cleaned we will fill the hole and restore any missing tooth structure with a tooth-colored filling. This will ensure that no bacteria or food can enter the hole created during the procedure. Simultaneously, your tooth may need further strengthening, and if it does, a dental crown will be used. A crown can be made of silver amalgam or ceramic so that it can fit any tooth and blend in perfectly. A crown is an excellent solution because nothing can touch the natural tooth.
As an emergency dentist, we also use crowns to restore teeth that have been cracked or chipped in a car wreck, sports injury, or on the job. It is incredibly common for teeth to become injured during these normal activities. While most people don’t think about their tooth getting damaged while playing basketball, it happens all of the time.
Another common occurrence is teeth getting knocked out during these same activities. Teeth are held in place by a root system that is incredibly strong but when blunt force interacts with your tooth, it can get knocked out even if your teeth are otherwise healthy. As an emergency dentist, there are ways that we can save a tooth that has been knocked out but in order to do so, you have to visit the dentist right away. If you find yourself in one of these situations or with a toothache, give us a call.
