Broken braces, knocked-out teeth, and other forms of dental emergency can rock the foundation of your day. Patients who have suffered unexpected dental injury may find themselves panicking about what to do next, but it’s important to remember in these moments that emergency dental services can provide comprehensive and immediate care.
My Emergency Dental specializes in dealing with dental emergencies, including extreme tooth pain, bleeding from the gums, or knocked-out teeth.
We offer same-day appointments and have walk-in emergency rooms, and we hope to give you peace of mind during what is often a stressful time. We provide urgent care when time is of the essence, and have two dental offices in the greater Atlanta area — Marietta and Stockbridge.
Call us immediately if you need emergency dental care and we can book you in for a same-day appointment.
What are the most common dental emergencies?
Dental emergencies range in their level of severity, and there can be a variety of causes too. They are often characterized by sudden damage to the teeth and soft tissue around the mouth, but they can also include orthodontic emergencies such as broken braces.
Here are some of the most common dental emergencies that we deal with.
Toothaches
Severe or persistent tooth pain can indicate various issues such as tooth decay, infection, or dental trauma. It’s essential to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible to ensure that the dental issue can be treated quickly.
Chipped or broken tooth
Sudden force can cause injuries to the oral cavity, including a chipped tooth or fractured teeth. This can be extremely painful, and requires attention from an emergency dentist to ensure that the tooth is reconstructed as soon as possible.
Knocked-out tooth
Sudden force during an accident can also cause a tooth to be knocked out completely, which is also known as an avulsed tooth. This requires immediate attention to ensure that the tooth can be saved — not only can emergency dental services help to reattach an avulsed tooth, but we can also schedule a root canal surgery to ensure that it lasts for the rest of your life.
Lost filling or crown
If a dental filling or crown falls out, it can expose sensitive parts of the tooth and cause discomfort or pain. This requires emergency dental care to reconstruct the filling or crown and ensure that there is no aesthetic damage to the teeth.
Dental Abscess
An abscess is a bacterial infection that causes painful swelling in the mouth. This swelling is caused by a build-up of pus and fluid, which requires immediate treatment to prevent further complications.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Dental issues can involve the mouth’s soft tissues, such as the gums, tongue, lips, or cheeks. When injuries occur, these soft tissues can often suffer bleeding and potential infection.
Orthodontic Emergencies
Issues with braces, such as broken wires or brackets, can cause major discomfort for patients. In this situation, urgent care from an orthodontist is crucial.
How to prevent dental emergencies
While avoiding dental emergencies is not always possible, especially in the case of sudden injury, preventative measures can be taken to significantly reduce the risk of an injury happening.
Here are some of the best ways to help prevent dental injuries.
Wear a mouthguard when playing sports
Fractures, lacerations, and tooth avulsions are commonly associated with sports injuries, so it’s highly recommended to wear a mouthguard for contact sports. Mouthguards protect the teeth, gums, and soft tissues from impact and help to prevent any dental issues.
Don’t use your teeth as tools
Never use your teeth to cut things like tape, plastic, or packaging materials, or even to open bottles and rip packages open. The tension can damage your teeth and result in fractures, so always make sure to use proper cutting tools.
Avoid chewing hard foods
Chewing on hard foods, such as ice, candy, and popcorn kernels, increases the risk of cracking or breaking teeth.
Childproof your home
Young children are statistically more likely to suffer dental injury, with 17% of their injuries being dental-related. It is therefore essential to safeguard against this kind of injury by installing safety gates, edge guards, and keeping potential choking hazards out of reach.
Wear a seatbelt
Car accidents are one of the most common causes of dental emergencies. Properly restraining yourself in a vehicle helps to prevent mouth injuries during a crash or sudden stop.
Don’t clench or grind teeth
Clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth can wear down the enamel over time, or in worse cases, even cause fractures. Wearing a nightguard can help prevent dental injury caused by bruxism, which is something people often do unconsciously when they sleep.
Emergency dental services we offer
We offer comprehensive care to patients suffering from a wide variety of dental injuries. Some of the key services that we offer are:
- Immediate dental pain relief
- Oral surgeries such as emergency tooth extraction
- Treatment for dental trauma and injuries, including chipped or knocked-out teeth
- Endodontics, including root canals and other restorative procedures
- Preventative dentistry and comprehensive examinations
- Full or partial dentures
- Periodontics, including deep cleaning services for your teeth
The Importance of Immediate Care
When a dental emergency occurs, it is always recommended that you receive professional support within 1 hour of the incident taking place. This can help to save valuable time in a situation where acting fast makes all the difference.
One example is that a patient who has suffered a knocked-out tooth can save the tooth as long as it is treated promptly. Once the tooth is recovered and made sterile, an emergency dentist can reattach it to the gums as if it never left.
That said, it’s critical to receive prompt medical attention in a case of dental emergency. Emergency appointments can be made by calling us directly, and we can include dental treatment plans for the non-insured that make sure your dental visit is covered.
Finding an emergency dentist in Gainesville, GA
My Emergency Dental’s Marietta office is just an hour away from Gainesville. We have two locations in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Marietta and Stockbridge, that are available 7 days a week from 8am until midnight.
We support walk-ins for dental emergencies, or you can schedule an emergency dental appointment for same-day treatment.
A final word from My Emergency Dental
Emergency dentistry services can make all the difference when unexpected injuries occur. Dental emergencies rely on fast and effective treatment to ensure optimal outcomes, such as reattaching a dislodged tooth or finding the root cause of a severe toothache.
Please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment if you need immediate care. We are ready the moment you need our help, and our experienced team of dentists can provide you with comprehensive treatment no matter the emergency you’re facing.
