Do I Have a True Dental Emergency?

When to Call the Dentist

If you have a problem with your teeth on the weekend or late at night, you might worry about contacting an after hours dentist. After all, when you’re in pain, it can be hard to tell if the problem is an emergency, and what kind of medical professional you should contact. To help with that, here are some of the most common dental emergencies and what you should do about them.

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What is a Dental Emergency?

This may seem obvious. For most people, a dental emergency is when your tooth really hurts and you want it fixed. However, there are a few different types of emergencies that after hours dentists see. Here are some common dental emergencies.

• Any problem that threatens the health and placement of a tooth. This broken, lose and cracked teeth. 

•  Severe pain.

•  Bleeding from the mouth tissues that won’t stop.

• A severe infection that suddenly flares up. This can be life threatening, so it’s important that you see an after hours dentist as soon as possible if this occurs.

What to do in a Dental Emergency

If you experience a dental emergency, then you need to get help as soon as possible if you want to solve the problem. This will also help you to preserve the health of your mouth and teeth over the long term. With that in mind, here’s what to do for some specific dental situations:

• A toothache

If you experience severe pain after hours, you can take Nurofen to alleviate it until you can get to an after hours dentist. Don’t try to brush the area, but you can rinse with warm water to gently clean it.  

• Bleeding

If the bleeding isn’t too bad, rinse your mouth with warm water and apply pressure to the area to encourage it to stop. If the bleeding is severe, seek medical help immediately.

• Dislodged teeth

If you have a tooth or teeth knocked out because of some type of injury, retrieve the tooth and rinse with water to clean it. Reposition gently in the tooth socket without pressing it down. If you can’t put it back in your mouth, put the tooth in milk to keep it moist. And contact an after hours dentist immediately so the tooth can be put back where it belongs.

• Cracked teeth.

It’s easier than you think to crack a tooth or teeth. If you experience this, rinse your mouth with warm water, apply a cold compress to the face and see an after hours dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist will be able to repair the tooth using a porcelain crown or veneer, dental bonding, or a dental bridge.

• Something stuck in your tooth.

Unless it’s extremely painful or bleeding, this usually isn’t a dental emergency. Try to gently remove the obstruction with your fingers or tweezers. You can also try flossing around the object. If this doesn’t remove the problem, make an appointment with your dentist.

• Severed gum or lips.

This is considered a medical emergency, not a dental emergency. So apply pressure to slow the bleeding and go to your doctor or to the emergency room if it’s after hours.

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Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:

If you have a dental emergency, contact our Emergency Dentist in Sydney. Our caring and expert staff are available 24 hours a day to help you with all your emergency dental needs.

Why Do Some Root Canal Treatments Fail?

And Why It Isn’t Your Dentist’s Fault

Root canals aren’t usually people’s favourite procedures. If you have to have one, it means that you’ve probably been in pain or discomfort for a while and have made a trip to an after hours dentist. After all that trouble, you probably think that the root canal should solve everything. But sometimes, your problems will continue after the root canal, meaning that you have to get further treatments. If this happens to you, then you need to know why it happens and why it isn’t always your dentist’s fault.

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Why Do You Need a Root Canal?

In basic terms, people need a root canal when the pulp or inside of their tooth has become infected. During a root canal, the nerve and pulp inside your tooth are cleared out and the area is sealed so that bacteria can’t get in there again. To complete the procedure, your dentist will usually put a crown over the top of the tooth to increase its strength and repair its appearance. This procedure usually alleviates any pain immediately because the nerve, the part of your tooth that registers pain, is gone. And once the area has healed, you will be able to go back to your normal eating routine and probably won’t even notice that you ever had the procedure done.

If you have an infected tooth, your dentist will usually try to treat the infection with antibiotics first. However, if the infection has gone too far, if it threatens the health of surrounding tissue, it’s usually better to perform a root canal. Otherwise it can cause problems such as abscesses or pain and infection in other parts of the face and even in the rest of the body.

Some causes of tooth pulp infection include:

• A cavity that has been left too long.

• A crack or chip that hasn’t been repaired and has let bacteria into the centre of the tooth.

• Repeated procedures on a tooth.

• Gum infections that have been left untreated and infected a tooth.

• Face traumas.

What if the Root Canal Doesn’t Work?

Most people who get a root canal go back to their normal lives without any further problems. In fact, between 90 and 95 percent of root canals are completely successful. However, there are a small percentage of people who aren’t so lucky.  

There can be a number of reasons why a root canal may fail. And the first and most common is related to the original infection. As Doctor Oberoi from Emergency Dentist Sydney says about root canals, “If they haven’t been done properly in the first place and the infection is still there they can fail.” That’s why you need to make sure that your root canal is done by a properly qualified and experienced after hours dentist.

Another reason why a root canal may fail has to do with the condition of the tooth itself. Doctor Oberoi points out, “…if there’s a crack in the tooth then it can affect the root canal. That’s why we usually recommend putting a crown over the tooth.”

A root canal may also fail if it isn’t taken care of after the procedure. You need to make sure that you follow your dentist’s instructions closely when it comes to after care. Otherwise the gum or surrounding teeth could become infected, resulting in more dental work.

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Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:

If you need a root canal or any other emergency procedure, contact our Emergency Dentist in Sydney. Our caring and expert staff are available 24 hours a day to help you with all your emergency dental needs.

What to Do If You Need an Emergency Root Canal

From An Experienced Emergency Dentist

If you suddenly experience a severe toothache late at night or on the weekends it’s important that you know what to do. It may be tempting to just call the closest dentist to get help, but that could end up causing more problems than it solves. An emergency root canal can be a complicated procedure. That’s why you need to make sure that the after hours dentist you see is appropriately experienced and trained in this procedure.

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What is a Root Canal? 

A root canal is a very common procedure that’s performed when a tooth becomes infected because of decay or poor oral health. The infection can cause the tissue inside the tooth to become diseased and damaged. If it isn’t treated at this stage, then the tooth will have to be extracted and the infection can also spread, causing problems with other teeth and with the rest of the mouth.

This can come on quite suddenly. You may have a tooth that bothers you a little for a while, and then suddenly one night you’re in a lot of pain and looking for an after hours dentist. But this is where you need to be careful. Although root canals are common, that doesn’t mean that you should just see the first dentist who answers the phone. As Dr. Oberoi from Emergency Dentists Sydney says, “A root canal is a complex procedure so it’s important that the staff are trained properly so that patients get the best treatment.”

It’s fairly easy for something to go wrong during this procedure, or for infected tissue to be missed, which can affect the outcome and lead to a tooth extraction. So if you want to avoid complications, you need to make sure that your after hours dentist is appropriately experienced and trained in the procedure.

Emergency Dentist Sydney

If you suddenly need an emergency root canal late at night or on the weekend, you need to know that you’re in good hands. As Dr. Oberoi states, “Patients are nervous and have limited choice in who they see out of hours, so they need to know that their dentist can do the job properly.”

The staff at Emergency Dentist Sydney have been focussed on emergency procedures for many years and have performed literally thousands of root canals. They have experience in almost every type of dental emergency imaginable, from toothaches to broken teeth and problems with fixtures such as crowns and veneers. So no matter what’s happened to your teeth, you can get the help you need from our 24 hour dentist whenever you need it most.

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Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:

So if you have a toothache after office hours, make sure you contact our Emergency Dentist in Sydney. Our caring and expert staff are available now to take care of all your emergency dental needs.