Have a Dental Emergency? Should You Visit Your Dentist or the E.R.?

You’re hanging out by the pool with some friends, sipping on a nice fruity beverage. It’s particularly hot that day, so you chew on some ice to cool down. Suddenly you hear a loud crunch. Then you feel an intense pain in your mouth. You feel around with your tongue to find that you just knocked out your tooth! Should you go to the E.R., or see your emergency dentist in Love Field? Read more to find out.

What Is a Dental Emergency?

A dental emergency is any situation where your teeth, gums, or soft tissues in the mouth are damaged and need immediate attention. Common dental emergencies include:

• Fully or partially dislodged tooth
• Broken or chipped tooth
• Laceration to the gums, tongue, palate, or cheek
• Severe toothache
• Jaw pain
• Damage to crowns, dentures, or fillings

Why Should You Go to Your Emergency Dentist in Northwest Dallas Instead of the ER?

These days, more people tend to visit the emergency room for oral health problems instead of their dentist. However, the ER doctors are typically general doctors and are not able to perform the kind of specialized dental care that is needed in a dental emergency. For serious cases, this is detrimental. If you knocked out a tooth, for example, you have about an hour until it becomes almost impossible to reattach. You might as well just visit your emergency dentist who is more qualified and can make sure your tooth gets put back where it belongs successfully.

In addition, many emergency rooms don’t actually treat the problem at hand. Oftentimes they will simply prescribe a pain medication to deal with the issue. Although that may help in the short term, the pills will run out, and you will be left with the same problem you stared out with. You may as well cut out the middleman and head straight to your emergency dentist.

How Can You Prevent a Dental Emergency?

It’s almost impossible to avoid an emergency 100 percent of the time, but there are some things you can do to minimize your risk, such as:

• Cleaning your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a toothbrush with soft bristles
• Flossing every day
• Wearing a mouthguard during physical activities
• Not chewing on ice or hard candies
• Visiting your dentist every six months for a checkup and professional cleaning

Emergencies can be scary, but that’s why your dentist is prepared for them. Call your emergency dentist if something ever goes wrong with your teeth.

About the Practice

At Bear Creek Family Dentistry, we have multiple kinds of specialists under one roof to meet all your needs in one place. If you call with a dental emergency, we will do everything we can to see you on that same day to get your situation treated as soon as humanly possible. If you experience an emergency, don’t be afraid to contact our Love Field office at (214)-350-5333.