Emergency Dentistry in Parker, CO
Call Signature Smiles Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry
A dental emergency requires immediate action to reduce pain, discomfort, and bleeding and prevent infection, tooth loss, or health complications. At Signature Smiles Dentistry, we offer emergency dentistry in Parker, CO, to patients who have oral or dental trauma. Our 24-hour emergency dental care can prevent further problems and protect your health and comfort. Call us today to schedule a visit with our emergency dentist.
What Is Emergency Dental Care?
Emergency dental care includes non-routine, severe, and serious oral health issues that will get worse without immediate attention. These oral health issues might put you at risk of further pain, swelling, infection, and tooth loss:
- Cracked or broken tooth
- Knocked out tooth or teeth
- Severe tooth or jaw pain, especially when accompanied by a fever, swelling, trouble chewing or swallowing, and a bad taste in your mouth
- An abscessed tooth
- Bleeding gums
- Serious cuts to your gums, lip, or tongue
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
You should call an emergency dentist immediately if you’re experiencing a dental emergency. Your dentist or the experienced, knowledgeable staff at the office can give you instructions for how to treat yourself while on the way to the dentist or while waiting for your appointment:
- Knocked out tooth – Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown – don’t touch the tooth’s root. Place it back into the socket. If you can’t put it back in place, keep it in your mouth between your cheek and gums, or in a container of milk. Use a cold compress to control bleeding or to hold the tooth in place in the socket.
- Tooth or jaw pain – Check for signs of a fever or infection. Tell your emergency dentist if you have swelling, a sour taste in your mouth, trouble swallowing, or if your skin feels warm to the touch. Use a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling, but don’t take any medication. If you can’t reach an emergency dentist, go to the ER.
- Bleeding gums – Rinse your mouth out with warm salt water and use a cold compress to control bleeding. Don’t take any blood thinners or over the counter medication that could thin your blood, like aspirin.
- Trauma or injury – Clean any cuts or abrasions with warm water and apply a cold compress to treat pain, swelling, and bleeding. Don’t take any over-the-counter medications or blood thinners.
- Cracked or broken tooth – You should rinse your mouth out with warm water and use a cold compress to treat any pain or swelling.
Dental Emergency Care FAQs
- How do I know if it’s really a dental emergency? It’s always a good idea to call your emergency dentist to ask for advice on whether your symptoms indicate a dental emergency. Most likely, your dentist will tell you to come in just to be safe. However, there are some clear and obvious signs that you need emergency dentistry services: a cracked, broken, or missing tooth; pain plus a fever and swelling; signs of an infection; severe jaw or tooth pain that prevents you from sleeping, eating, working, or moving your head; and significant bleeding. You should also visit an emergency dentist if you experience any kind of trauma to your mouth, teeth, or gums. Typically, a lost filling, chipped veneer, or broken dental appliance is not a dental emergency.
- What should I do on my way to an appointment for emergency dentistry services? Your dentist will give you advice on what to do to protect your teeth, gums, and overall health on your way to the office or while you wait for an appointment. If you have a broken tooth, you should rinse your mouth out with warm water and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. If you have a knocked out tooth, try to place the tooth back into the socket and hold it in place with a wet compress. If you can’t place the tooth back in your mouth, put it in a container of milk to preserve it. Don’t touch the tooth root; only the crown.
- Shouldn’t I go to the ER instead? If you can’t reach an emergency dentist, it’s better to go to the ER than ignoring the problem or waiting until you can get an appointment with your regular dentist. ERs can treat infections, bleeding, pain, fractures, and chipped teeth. It’s better to visit an emergency dentist, however, because they can diagnose the problem sooner, treat you faster, and even begin the process of fitting you for a prosthetic tooth or completing a root canal procedure. ERs don’t offer cosmetic dentistry or restorative dentistry services, but an emergency dentist will.
- How are dental emergencies treated? Emergency dentistry treatment depends on the condition. If you have an infection, your dentist will need to treat the infection before proceeding with any other procedure. Then, they might recommend root canal therapy to remove diseased and infected tissue and dental pulp and preserve the structural integrity and health of the tooth so it doesn’t need to be extracted. Other treatments might include a dental filling, extraction, irrigation and antibiotics, reimplantation, and splinting.
- How can an emergency dentist fix a cracked or broken tooth? An emergency dentist will first evaluate the structure and overall health of the tooth. If it is too cracked or broken to safely remain in your mouth, they will extract it and discuss your options for restorative dentistry. For minor cracks and chips, they can recommend a cosmetic dentistry procedure like dental veneers or same day dental crowns.
Call Our Emergency Dentist in Parker, CO
If you need emergency dental care in Parker, CO, call us today at Signature Smiles Dentistry. We can quickly assess your symptoms, do a full and thorough evaluation, and checkup, and take dental x-rays or digital scans. Our team can quickly diagnose your condition and find the most effective, safest, and fastest route back to oral health. Contact us today to determine if you need emergency dentistry services.