Dental Procedures
Emergency Dental Care
Emergency Dental Care Information
At Westwoods Dental, we offer our regular patients emergency dental care seven days a week. We strive to provide same-day dental appointments, whenever possible, as we understand the urgency of your concerns.
Many issues encountered by patients are not always dental emergencies and can normally be fixed and/or examined during regular office hours. Some examples of non-dental emergencies include, but are not limited to: smoothing a chipped tooth, re-cementing a crown or replacing a lost filling that is not causing pain. If you are not sure whether or not you are having a true dental emergency, answering yes to any of the following questions could mean your situation warrants immediate care and you should call our office immediately.
- Are you bleeding from the mouth?
- Are you in severe pain?
- Do you have any loose teeth?
- Have you been hit in the face or mouth?
- Do you have any swelling in the mouth or facial area?
- Do you have any bulges, swelling or knots on your gums?
- Do you experience pain caused by hot/cold stimuli or when biting down?
When dental emergencies are shrugged aside or ignored, permanent damage and severe oral health symptoms can occur. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, contact our office immediately so we can assist you and your situation as soon as possible. Trust in Drs. Matthew S. Fecica and George V. Proud to keep your dental emergency our top priority and help restore your beautiful smile.
Types of Dental Emergency
The following are some common types of dental emergency. If you are experiencing any of these, call now to book your emergency dental appointment: (613) 389-1099.
Toothache
Chipped, Cracked or Fractured Teeth
Problems with a Restoration
Tissue Injury or Facial Pain
Knocked-out Tooth
Loose Tooth, Out of Alignment
Other Emergencies
Toothache
An aching tooth is a very common dental emergency and has many common causes, which your dentist at Westwoods Dental will help you determine. Many over the counter medications can help alleviated any discomfort, but it is advised that you consult a pharmacist before taking any new or uncommon medications. If these medications are not helping reduced your discomfort, contact your on-call dentist immediately for further instructions.
Chipped, Cracked or Fractured Teeth
If a tooth is chipped and doesn’t hurt, this usually does not constitute a dental emergency and you can wait a few days to see a dentist. However, it is important to be careful while chewing so as to avoid any further damage to the tooth and/or surrounding gums. A cracked or fractured tooth is a serious issue constituting a dental emergency. If you suffer a fractured tooth, call our office immediately to schedule a same-day appointment and to obtain further instructions.
Problems with a Temporary Restoration
Having a temporary crown come off is not a dental emergency provided you are able to re-seat the restoration and the tooth/teeth are not sensitive or painful. It is important to seat the temporary restoration back in place to prevent any tooth movement. Placing Vaseline, toothpaste, or even a very small amount of denture adhesive inside the temporary restoration can help hold it in place until Drs. Proud or Fecica can arrange a time to re-cement it. Before applying these materials to the your temporary restoration, try putting your crown in first and note how it fits into place. Once you are comfortable with the fit, apply your chosen material into the temporary and place it properly on your tooth. Bite down firmly onto a dry washcloth, applying even pressure to the temporary. After a few minutes, clean off any excess material you can see. You should schedule an appointment with us within the next few days to have it properly re-cemented.
Tissue Injury and Facial Pain
Any type of injury inside or around the mouth, such as puncture wounds, lacerations and tears that are not controlled easily with simple applied pressure, are dental emergencies. If you experience any type of tissue injury, it is important to first and foremost control any bleeding and then contact your dentist and/or proceed to your local emergency room.
Knocked-Out Tooth
A knocked-out tooth is a dental emergency that requires urgent attention. If the appropriate emergency steps are followed immediately after the tooth has been knocked out, the chances are very good that the tooth can be reinserted and preserved.
- Pick up the tooth by the top (crown) of the tooth. Do not touch the root(s) of the tooth.
- Rinse the tooth off very gently to ensure that it’s clean. Do not scrub the tooth or remove any tissue attached to it. Be careful not to drop the tooth into the drain. Placing a cloth at the drain opening will help prevent this problem.
- If you can, gently place the tooth back into the socket. Hold it gently in place while trying to bite down.
- If you can’t place the tooth back in the socket, put the tooth in a small container or in a cup of milk. Note that the latter is preferable.
- Call us immediately, since getting to the dentist quickly with your tooth – in addition to following the steps above – is crucial for saving the knocked-out tooth. The longer you wait to re-implant the tooth in its socket, the less chance you have of the tooth “taking” and remaining viable.
Loose Tooth, Tooth Out of Alignment
If you have a tooth that is suddenly loose or out of alignment, you should contact our office immediately.
Other Dental Emergencies
Basically, any dental problem that requires immediate treatment in order to save a tooth, stop ongoing tissue bleeding or alleviate severe pain is a dental emergency. A severe infection or abscess in the mouth can be life-threatening and should be dealt with immediately.