What is a Dental Emergency?
First off, if you are having difficulty breathing or are bleeding profusely, call 911 and seek immediate medical care. Emergency dental services are to resolve non-life-threatening problems that may be causing you significant pain or discomfort or need to happen promptly to save your teeth.
Whether you are a new or returning patient, Wolter Advanced Dental Care is committed to helping our community with dental emergencies. We will offer our first available appointment, same-day if at all possible, to help alleviate your pain. Once in our schedule, our team will address your dental emergency as quickly as possible with the goal of alleviating your pain as quickly as possible. We will then schedule a follow-up visit for returning patients, or a comprehensive dental exam for new patients to continue your dental care and avoid emergencies in the future.
Emergency Services
Emergency dental care includes:
- Toothache Relief
- Sore Or Swollen Gum Relief
- Swollen Jaw Relief
- Cracked Or Knocked Out Tooth
- Repair Of Lost Or Loose Fillings
- Root Canal Therapy For Abscess Or Nerve Sensitivity
- Dental Repair
*For all other medical and dental emergencies, call 911.
8 Common Dental Emergencies
If you are suffering from any of the following common dental emergencies, here are some tips for caring for your teeth until Dr. Wolter and the team can provide appropriate dental care.
- Severe Toothache
Toothaches can be more than just a painful nuisance. In some cases, toothaches are signals from your body that something is clearly not right. If you have had sudden inexplicable onset pain, contact our office for emergency treatment. Some toothaches can be caused by inflammation in the tooth or jaw and can be treated by applying a cold compress and taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and pain relief medication. - Swollen or Bleeding Gums
Occasional gum irritation or gum bleeding that stops are signs of some oral health issues but are not considered emergencies. However, if your gums do not stop bleeding, especially if accompanied by pain and swelling, you may want to call us for an emergency exam. It’s also not normal to have bleeding gums without any obvious cause or trauma. Our team is standing by to address any of these problems for you. - Swollen Jaw or Mouth
If your mouth or jaw suddenly becomes swollen for no apparent reason, you may have an infection, irritation to your lymph nodes, or some other factor that should be treated right away. Dr. Wolter can provide emergency care and may refer you to one of our trusted specialists. - Extreme Sensitivity/Nerve Pain
Extreme sensitivity and nerve pain are excruciating experiences that will only get worse if you delay treatment. To prevent infections, further nerve damage, or more extensive dental treatments down the road, seek emergency dental assistance as soon as possible. Treatment can include root canal therapy and crowning of our tooth, which we can do in a single visit with our Single Visit Crown technology (CEREC). - Knocked-Out Tooth
After a heavy impact to your head and face, it’s important to seek emergency medical care if you experience any signs of a concussion or severe head trauma. If the impact was direct to your mouth, suddenly knocking out a tooth from your mouth, it’s time to take quick action and see Dr. Wolter. Once a tooth is removed from the mouth, it can be difficult to reinsert and preserve your tooth. Time is of the essence and you should be seen immediately. If reinserting the tooth is not possible, Wolter ADC has modern technology that will have your smile back to normal as you walk out of our door.
Some Tips:Pick up the tooth by the bottom, careful not to touch or damage the root. Rinse without scrubbing and if possible, reinsert the tooth into the open socket. If you can’t reinsert it easily, place the tooth in a small container of milk and get to our office as quickly as possible to increase the chances of saving your tooth.
- Missing/Broken Filling
A missing or broken filling is a potential dental emergency because your tooth is left unprotected and may break or chip without the reinforcement the filling provides. If the filling was deep enough into your tooth, losing the filling may expose the tooth’s nerves which can lead to common dental emergency #4. - Lost or Broken Crown
A dental crown protects your tooth from infection and damage. All of that protection is lost when a crown is lost or broken. By scheduling an emergency dental visit to replace the crown, you may be able to avoid needing a root canal or even a tooth extraction.
- Abscessed Tooth
Dental abscesses are not to be taken lightly. These potentially life-threatening infections can spread into your jaw, surrounding tissue, and other areas of your body. Some symptoms that follow an abscess include fever, tooth sensitivity, toothache, tender lymph nodes, swelling in the face, and a pimple-like bump on your gums near the infected tooth.
Wolter Advanced Dental Care is open as early as 7:30 AM and with extended times for dental emergencies. We understand that dental emergencies can be extreme experiences, and our team will do everything we can to provide you with immediate relief and a long-term oral health plan.
