Dental Emergencies at Night and Weekends

Dental emergencies might occur at any time, but it is even more problematic if it happens during the night, at the weekend or on a holiday. It really can make all the difference for individuals involved knowing where to seek for this assistance and support.

Common Dental Emergencies

• Severe toothaches: Severe discomfort in the affected area that may also be red or warm to the touch, or alternatively, cold.
• Broken or chipped teeth: Fractures or cracks are found in the tooth enamel.
• Knocked-out teeth: A tooth that has been totally knocked out of its alignment in the oral cavity.
• Dental abscesses: Abscesses that can occur as small pockets of pus formation around the root of a tooth.
• Severe bleeding: Excessive bleeding from the gums or mouth.
• Objects lodged in teeth: Chronic foreign bodies that present themselves as objects lodged between the teeth or in the gums.

Finding Emergency Dental Care

While most dental offices are closed on nights and weekends, there are several options available for those experiencing dental emergencies:

1. Emergency Dental Clinics: Some dental offices provide treatment services during evenings and on weekends and holidays. Such clinics may be worked by dentists or dental auxiliaries that are assigned the responsibilities of handling dental emergencies. Looking for an emergency dentist can be done over the internet, by calling the dental association in your area and even by consulting with your regular dentist.

2. Hospital Emergency Rooms: Triage and other health facilities often have dental care section that is able to address specific dental conditions including severe tooth ache, avulsed or fractured teeth. However, this should be noted that the operating emergency rooms provide treatment to serious health complications first, and you may be asked to waits.

3. Dental On-Call Services: There are some regions that offer dental on-call services that patients can access so that they can get access to dentists that treat cases in emergency. These services may be charged but if one cannot find a solution on where to seek help the services are ideal.

Tips for Handling Dental Emergencies

• Stay calm: The first thing one should try to keep cool and try to determine the level of emergency.
• Contact your dentist: It is advisable to call your dentist and recommend to visit an emergency dentist.
• Over-the-counter pain relief: You can try some pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help decrease your pain for the time being.
• Cold compress: It can also be advised to apply cold pack on the sore area to alleviate on swelling and pain associated with it.
• Avoid hot or cold foods: Sensitivity is also provoked by high temperature and persons with such teeth will feel a sting like sensation when ingesting a meal.
• Secure a knocked-out tooth: If one of them has been missing, wash it under cold water and try to put it back in its socket. If you are unable to reinsert the tooth, wash the tooth gently and place it in a cup of milk or, if a milk container is unavailable, in your own saliva.
• Stop bleeding: In a situation where you have massive bleeding you can apply pressure on the injured part with an absorbent material such as a piece of cloth or gauze.

Preventing Dental Emergencies

While it's not always possible to prevent dental emergencies, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk:

1. Practice good oral hygiene: Brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily and visiting the dentist for a check up get regular.
2. Wear a mouthguard: If you participate in athletics, or engage in activities that increase the risk of damage to teeth, wear a custom-made mouth guard.
3. Avoid harmful habits: Avoid smoking, use alcohol in moderation and do not bite on very hard substances.
4. See your dentist regularly: The best way to make sure your teeth do not give problems is to attend dental checkups as often as you can thus making sure the doctor identifies any future problems before they occur.

Being informed and prepared means the difference between a mild or severe outcome of emergencies that happen during off- business hours.