Is 'emergency dentist' the correct technical title for a dentist who provides emergency dental care? What is the difference between these dentists and general dentists? What qualifies as a dental emergency? Our Edmonton dentists answer these questions in today's post.
If you're experiencing a dental emergency such as a knocked out tooth, severe toothache or broken filling, you'll need emergency dental care. But how should you decide whether to visit your regular general dentists or one of our dentists in Edmonton? Is there such a thing as an emergency dentist, and when should you see one? We'll clear up a number of these questions today.
What is an emergency dentist?
Most people would think to type 'emergency dentist' into their favourite search engine when they're experiencing a dental emergency. However, you might be surprised to learn that there is no such thing as an 'emergency dentist' in Canada, according to the Canadian Dental Specialties Association.
However, there are dentists who provide emergency dental services and offer same-day urgent care appointments for a wide range of dental emergencies. At Emergency Dental Clinics, we have dentists available 7 days a week on evenings, weekends and holidays to tend to children and adults with these emergencies. No appointment is necessary.
What does an emergency dentist do?
Some people wonder when they should see an emergency dentist. Dental emergencies often happen when we least expect them, and your regular general dentist may not be available if you chip a tooth or are experiencing a severe toothache on the weekend or after business hours. Alternatively, you may not have a regular dentist to call. That's where we can help.
Your dental emergency may include a:
- Knocked out, cracked or broken tooth
- Broken or lost filling
- Tooth extraction
- Root canal
- Toothache or wisdom tooth pain
- Gum or mouth pain
- Bitten lip or tongue
- Jaw pain
We understand that injury or damage to your tooth or mouth can be upsetting and painful. Many of these emergencies are time-sensitive and will need care right away. For example, if you have a knocked out tooth, it's crucial that you get to our office within 30 minutes to one hour after the incident, as we may be able to re-attach the tooth to the bone if it's put back into place soon enough after it falls out.
Dental emergencies should also be treated as soon as possible to prevent further pain and reduce the risk for dental and overall health complications in the future. Because our dental team sees many patients with a variety of dental emergencies, we're used to providing care in what may be a stressful situation. We also focus on offerings same-day, urgent care services to accommodate busy schedules and off-hours needs.
Emergency Dentists vs. General Dentists: What's the difference?
You may not have thought about dentistry in depth until you need a dentist to care for a specific issue. Many people have asked us, "Are all dentists the same?"
In fact, they are not. Your choice of which dentist to see in a specific circumstance may depend on the services they offer, whether their business hours fit your schedule and other factors.
General dentists typically offer a range of preventive, restorative, cosmetic and potentially emergency dental care services, while our dentists focus exclusively on urgent and emergency care. In addition, while general dentists work on an appointment basis and are open during regular business hours, they usually offer limited weekend or evening hours. This may prevent seeing them as soon as you'd need to in a dental emergency.
And while general dentists can try to fit you in for a same-day appointment, schedule permitting, we have several dentists at our Edmonton practice ready and available to provide treatment right away. In contrast,
Emergency Dental Care at Emergency Dental Clinics
Your smile is yours forever. That's why it's important to have any dental emergency treated as soon as possible. We are here to make it as easy as possible to receive urgent treatment when you need it. Before contacting us, take a moment to assess your situation. If required, you may want to use gauze or a clean cloth to quell bleeding, apply ice to a mouth injury and take pain medication if required.
When you call us, we'll prepare to receive and assess your dental issue, then make a diagnosis. Your dentist will work with you to determine a suitable treatment plan and provide instructions on aftercare until you can see your regular dentist again. Depending on your circumstances, follow-up care may be required.
Are you experiencing a dental emergency? Contact our Edmonton dentists right away. We can examine the problem and recommend treatment options.