Dental Emergencies: When to Visit an Emergency Dentist
An emergency dentist can provide quick relief for any urgent dental issue. But not all dental issues need immediate resolution. Knowing when to visit this dental care provider can give you …
Why do you always get a throbbing pain in your tooth in the wee hours of the morning or worse, at the start of the weekend, when your dentist has closed the office? It is just one of life’s many mysteries!
If you are experiencing swelling in the face or jaw, the aching tooth may have an infection called an abscess. If this is the case, you do need to get evaluated sooner rather than later. If you cannot find an available dentist, consider going to a hospital emergency room. If you have chest pain, shortness of breath and lightheadedness along with the toothache, these could be signs of a heart attack, and the ambulance may need to be called. If you are also wheezing, coughing up blood or the cough will not go away, there is more going on than just a toothache, and you do need to get to the emergency room for an evaluation.
With all that said, if all you are experiencing is a mild or intermittent throb in your tooth, you take over-the-counter pain relievers containing acetaminophen, as found in Tylenol; ibuprofen, as found in Advil; or topical pain relievers containing benzocaine, as found in Anbesol or Orajel. Always ask a pharmacist if you can take acetaminophen/ibuprofen and use a topical pain reliever simultaneously to ensure there is no possibility of adverse reactions from the two drugs interacting with each other.
Should you have a weekend toothache in the wee hours of the morning or early evening, when the pharmacies are closed and your dentist is away, there are also a few home remedies that can bring some amount of soothing comfort. One quick fix is to mix one tablespoon of salt water into an eight-ounce glass of warm water, gargling, then spitting out the solution. This should bring some relief to your toothache. Another easy tip is to make a cold compress using ice and placing the compress, as needed, to the side of the face that the toothache is on. Do not hold it continually on cheek, but remove it every once in a while.
Once the weekend is over, be sure to call your dentist to make an appointment to get your aching tooth looked at.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with Bellevue Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry, request an appointment in our Bellevue dental office here: https://www.implantdentalbellevue.com. Or call us at (425) 249-9186.
An emergency dentist can provide quick relief for any urgent dental issue. But not all dental issues need immediate resolution. Knowing when to visit this dental care provider can give you …
There is a brief window of opportunity in which an emergency dentist may be able to save a tooth that gets knocked out. The chances are better within 30 minutes after …
An emergency dentist is a practitioner who provides relief to patients with an immediate dental concern. Emergency dental patients are almost always walk-in patients who need prompt treatment. Often, emergency dentists …
Toothaches happen to everyone from time to time, but when should you see an emergency dentist for your tooth pain? The truth is, most oral pain should be evaluated by a dental …
This is a guide on what partial dentures are, their benefits, and how to care…
Knowing when to take your dentures to a dentist’s office is important to avoid discomfort…
The following are some dental crown alternatives that your dentist may suggest.
Many people do not know if their restorations are already failing.
In-office teeth whitening can typically be done every few months, so long as there are…