Emergency Dentistry:

Do You Have a True Dental Emergency?

Not every dental emergency requires a same-day visit to see your dentist, but it is always wise to let your dentist decide what is an acute situation and what is not. If you have pain, discomfort, bleeding, or severe trauma, contact us right away to discuss the circumstances and find out whether you need to be seen immediately.

Let Your Emergency Dentist Determine If You Need to Be Seen Right Away

Waiting too long to get help for your dental emergency can limit the solutions for your dental problem or lead to greater complications. For example, it may be possible to restore a tooth that has been knocked out, but if you don’t address this situation immediately, the window for saving your tooth will be lost.

Here are three important things to keep in mind:

• Call your dentist right away. Your dentist should be the first person you call when you have a dental problem. Let your dentist decide what is truly an emergency. It may not seem like a big deal or cause any pain if a crown has fallen off, but waiting to deal with this issue can allow bacteria into your tooth and lead to infection. It is always better to get help sooner rather than later.
• There may be a lot of blood. A blow to the mouth can produce a lot of blood. The mouth is filled with many tiny blood vessels and they can seep dramatically. This side effect doesn’t always mean you have an oral health emergency. Blood makes many mouth injuries look worse than they actually are. Even if you can’t see any damage, always call your dentist just in case.
• It’s always wise to seek reassurance. You don’t have to wait for severe pain to kick in to make it “worth it” to get in touch with your dentist. At the first sign of trouble, reach out. Getting help right away can prevent a problem from getting even bigger and save you from unnecessary discomfort.

Is It Really a Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies are a burden, no matter when they occur. Your dentist understands that you don’t want to have to deal with this situation, but neglecting to address a dental emergency because it’s inconvenient is likely to turn it into a bigger complication. Dental problems do not go away on their own and waiting too long to get professional help could require extensive, invasive dental repairs.

The following issues could be considered a dental problem, but not necessarily an emergency. As always, let your dentist be the one to decide what needs to be addressed right away and what can potentially wait until the next day:

• Chipped veneer
• Dislodged dental bridge
• Broken crown
• Chipped tooth
• Broken or lost Invisalign aligner

Contact Your West Bloomfield Township Emergency Dentist

Any emergency dentistry or hint of a dental emergency is stressful. You understandably don’t want that twinge in your molar to be an infection that might lead to a filling, root canal, or even extraction. But it’s important that you acknowledge any oral health problems as soon as they arise. Not all dental emergencies come on suddenly – some develop slowly over time.

Don’t wait until your next dental check-up and teeth cleaning to tell your West Bloomfield Township dentist about an oral health problem. Call immediately to receive the treatment you need now from emergency dentist Dr. Zoma at Zoma Dental.