How to Determine If You Need to See an Emergency Dentist

As an emergency dentist, Robert S. Sykes, DDS regularly gets calls from patients wondering if they should head to our office or if a problem can wait for a few days. Understandably, most people have busy schedules and it is sometimes easier to plan a dental appointment than to move around client meetings or other work or school obligations.

From our perspective, there are several clear indicators that you need to visit our office right away:

Your tooth has been knocked out
You can see an obvious crack or chip
There is pus coming from the inside of your mouth

In any of these scenarios, you need to call our office and schedule an immediate appointment.There are other situations where you may need to come in quickly or you could wait a day or two, it depends on the issue.

Here are a few things to do in the process of determining how quickly you need dental care:

#1. Treat your toothache

If you have a bad toothache, you may have simply eaten something that was too sugary or sticky, which irritated your tooth. The outside of your teeth is covered with a layer of strong enamel. However, over time, that enamel will wear away and your teeth will become more and more sensitive. As they do, something like a glass of soda or your favorite candy could cause your teeth to hurt.

With that in mind, you should brush your teeth gently every time you have a toothache and follow up with flossing. You may also want to rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash. See if that makes your toothache go away. If it continues to hurt terribly, you should call an emergency dentist.

#2. Deal with bleeding

If you suddenly have to bleed in your mouth, you should rinse right away with warm water. You may need to do this several times, spitting afterward, before the bleeding stops. While doing this, you need to pay attention to what comes out of your mouth. If you see an entire tooth or piece of one, you should call our emergency dentist office.

If you continue to experience bleeding that does not stop or is accompanied by pain, you should also call our dentist office. Otherwise, once the bleeding has stopped, grab a flashlight and look inside your mouth. If you notice anything like a crack or chip, call us.

#3. Addressing bad breath

Most of the time, bad breath is not a cause for an emergency. However, if your breath is getting worse and worse and then you start to feel pain, you probably have a bad cavity or an infection. Very often, bad breath is a sign of a health problem. Bad breath can be a sign of an oral health or physical health problem.

If you want to avoid needing to make a last-minute appointment, use this sign as a reason to call and schedule an examination. As an emergency dentist, we are here when you need us. If you have an emergency situation, call us instead of visiting the ER. We will treat you quickly so you can get back to your daily life.

How can you really use this?

Call Robert S. Sykes, DDS at (770) 873-7241 for more information about our Marietta dental office. Or request a dental appointment here: http://drsykes.com.

October 10, 2023