In Canada, we’re used to going to hospital emergency departments for any urgent medical issues that develop. For dental emergencies, however, it’s best to get to a dentist as soon as possible. It’s not always easy to get an immediate appointment, so it’s helpful to know where to go for urgent dental treatment if you or a family member needs it. Here are some of the most common procedures requiring an emergency dentist in Vancouver or the surrounding area.
1. Toothache
Oral pain is the most common reason why people seek out an emergency dentist. Our Surrey BC clinic sees patients with lost fillings, tooth decay, and cracked or fractured teeth. All of these cause tooth pain ranging from mild to severe. For mild toothache, you may be able to soothe it by applying a cold compress to the outside of your cheek, but you still need to get it seen to without delay.
2. Oral Trauma
There are many kinds of oral trauma, all of which require urgent dental care. A chipped or broken tooth can cause the tooth pulp, roots, or nerves to be exposed. This can be remarkably painful and lead to potential infection if bacteria get into the exposed part. An injury to your jawbone or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can result in bruising, dislocation, or fracture. If you don’t get immediate dental treatment, it can lead to inflammation and long-term bite difficulties.
3. Dental Abscess
Painful, pimple-like lumps near the base of a tooth or in the space between your teeth and gums can indicate an abscess. Without urgent treatment, the abscess can become infected and spread to the surrounding teeth and gum tissues. The infection can potentially spread throughout the rest of your body, too, causing multiple health problems.
4. Tooth Loss
If one (or more) of your teeth get knocked out, you can try to save the tooth. Rescue it and try to reinsert it into the socket. Rinse it gently only if it has gathered dirt fragments, and try not to lose any bits of tissue that may still be attached. If you can’t reinsert it, keep it in a small container of milk and try to get to a dentist within the hour. Our emergency dentists serving Cloverdale and Surrey may be able to restore the tooth into your mouth.
5. Missing Crown
A dental crown coming off a tooth should be considered a dental emergency. Most people have crowns fitted to protect a damaged tooth that is otherwise still intact, cover a tooth following a root canal, or try and save a decayed tooth that is too weak to hold a filling. Crowns fall out as a result of biting down on something hard, trauma to the mouth, or after gradually loosening for some time. You need to either replace or restore the crown immediately or get other types of dental treatment to prevent infection or more tooth loss.
6. Broken Ortho Appliance
If you wear a dental appliance such as a bridge, braces, or a palatal expander, it can break and cause serious discomfort. Traditional braces contain metal wires and brackets; bridges often have metal clips attached to adjoining teeth with dental cement. If any of these get damaged, the metal can injure the inside of your mouth, cheeks, and gums. At the same time, any delay in repairing or replacing appliances can slow down or reverse the progress you’ve made in correcting the problem. The earlier you can get to our emergency dentists in the Vancouver and Surrey areas, the sooner we can help you get back on track. For more information or to schedule an emergency dental consultation, please click here or call us at 604-593-7866.
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