Emergency Dental Care (2024)

FAQs

What can the ER do for a tooth? ›

What can an emergency room do for a toothache? Emergency room providers can give you medications, such as antibiotics or pain relievers, to alleviate pain and swelling. But they don't perform restorative treatments, such as fillings or crowns.

What is considered a dental emergency? A dental emergency means you require urgent assistance for severe pain in your mouth. This could be caused by a number of things such as infection and dental injury. Common emergency dental problems include severe tooth decay, dental abscesses and knocked-out teeth.

Sometimes a tooth infection can be severe and require emergency treatment. If you have trouble swallowing or breathing, this could be a sign that your dental infection has spread to nearby tissues. In severe cases, an infection that has spread to the neck can block the airways and lead to death.

As the decay penetrates deeper into the tooth, it can reach the sensitive inner layers, including the dentin and pulp. This can cause tooth sensitivity, pain, and even infection. At this point, a cavity becomes a dental emergency and requires immediate attention from a Mission Valley emergency dentist.

While hospitals provide essential medical care, treating dental abscesses falls under the purview of dental professionals. Hospitals are equipped to handle medical emergencies and certain oral conditions, but dental abscesses require the specialized care of a dentist.

Can a tooth abscess go away naturally? A tooth abscess will not go away without dental treatment. You may choose to seek relief from symptoms of a tooth abscess by trying natural remedies like saltwater rinses, baking soda, fenugreek tea, cold compresses, garlic, oil pulling, essential oil, or hydrogen peroxide rinses.

If you're in a lot of pain due to a tooth, it can be difficult to know what to do. Some people may rush to urgent care or to the hospital thinking this is the best thing to do, but visiting an emergency dentist is your best option for fast care. An emergency dentist can perform a tooth extraction if needed.

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the best home remedies to pop an infected tooth or gum abscess safely. You must use a 1:1 ratio or equal parts of peroxide and warm water to make the solution and rinse your mouth with it.

A persistently high fever, dizziness, lightheadedness, a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, confusion, and digestive problems are potential signs of sepsis and should be treated as a medical emergency.

Will urgent care drain a tooth abscess? ›

Urgent care relieves your pain and prevents potential complications, such as the spread of infection or damage to nearby teeth and tissues, by promptly draining the abscess.

While most emergency rooms don't have the facilities to provide routine dental care, they can help in emergencies when urgent care is needed. The ER staff can get patients stabilized, control bleeding, and give treatment for dental fractures.

If you have a typical cavity, your dentist will remove the decayed tooth tissue and then restore the tooth by filling it with a filling material. Root canal. If the damage to the tooth and/or an infection spreads to the pulp (inside of the tooth), you might need a root canal.

It's important to treat a dying or dead tooth as soon as possible. That's because left untreated, the bacteria from the dead tooth can spread and lead to the loss of additional teeth. It could also affect your jawbone and gums. Your dentist may treat a dead or dying tooth with a procedure known as a root canal.

This may include prescribing pain medication, administering antibiotics for infections, or performing basic procedures like tooth extraction to alleviate immediate discomfort. While emergency rooms can offer initial assistance for dental emergencies, they are not equipped to provide comprehensive dental treatment.

Sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold. Swelling of the gum over the infected tooth, which may look like a pimple. Swollen glands of the neck. Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw, which is a very serious symptom.

Can I have antibiotics for toothache? Your dentist will decide whether antibiotics are appropriate for your dental issue. Antibiotics on their own do not remove the infection or stop pain. Dental treatment is usually needed as well.