A toothache can really ruin your day. Whether it’s a broken tooth or a painful cavity, unexpected dental problems often leave patients in a panic and unsure of where to turn. Often, urgent care and emergency room clinicians don’t have the training or the equipment to deal with a dental emergency. You may wait a long time, pay a hefty co-pay, and get nothing for your trouble besides antibiotics or pain medication. Unfortunately, neither of those will fix a broken tooth!
At Harte Dental, we are almost always able to see patients with emergencies on the same day or the next day after they call. We will usually be able to provide diagnosis and pain relief at these visits, and will make a plan with you for a longer-term solution if we don’t have time to provide one that day.
Below you can find information about some common dental emergencies which patients experience, and what types of treatment might be necessary.
By far the most common reason patients may call to make an emergency visit is because of dental pain. For many patients making the appointment, pain may have begun suddenly or with little warning. For others, their symptoms may have been brewing for a while. If you notice pain starting to develop, don’t wait to call. It’s often very difficult to predict if or how your pain may take a turn for the worse; the sooner we can initiate treatment, the sooner we can help you get comfortable.
Pain in the mouth or jaw can come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to:
In the vast majority of cases, pain that has a dental origin will not resolve on its own. Sometimes it might get better temporarily, but it will often return worse than it was before. Our doctors can evaluate and identify the cause of your pain to help relieve the root cause of the issue.
As much as dentists try to make sure our treatments last as long as possible, often the treatments we provide are not as durable as your natural teeth. A filling may fall out, a crown may get loose or even come out, a denture may break, etc.
Failing past dental work can also be a sign of an underlying problem with a tooth; teeth that have fillings and crowns can still develop cavities, and sometimes a loose denture is really being caused by a loose tooth. Regardless, dental work that has failed to function as it should will often get worse if left alone.
Not all emergencies involve pain or discomfort, but a “social” emergency can still very much be an emergency! Whether you’ve chipped a front tooth, want a bright smile ASAP for next week’s interview, or have any other aesthetic issue, give us a call and we will help you to get the results you want as quickly as possible.
From the front desk staff to the dental team who treated, everyone was so welcoming and friendly. I appreciated their communication and getting seen asap for my dental procedure. They explained the whole process thoroughly and have really set the bar as far as being a top choice dental office.
-Arianne
Following the WHO and America declaring the end of the Public Emergency on 5/12/23, we DO NOT REQUIRE MASKS for our patients. Of course, you are more than welcome to wear a mask here if you wish! We will still offer masks as well.
At Harte Dental, we care about your health!
Did you know that we use Digital Radiographs (X-Rays) instead of older, traditional film radiographs?
The National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) stated the average resident of the U.S. receives about 360 mrem (Millirem; roentgen equivalent man) every year from background sources. A typical dental x-ray exposes you to only about
