How an Emergency Dentist Can Save Your Tooth

An emergency dentist might be able to save your damaged tooth if you get treatment within a couple of hours of the injury occurring. Dental emergencies tend to occur at the worst possible times, and they can leave us feeling like our smile has been negatively changed forever.

That is simply not true, since dentists can often save the tooth or replace it with an artificial one that looks and feels like a real tooth. Regardless of how bad you think your dental emergency is, a dentist can fix it and restore your smile.

How an emergency dentist can save your tooth

Let us take a look at some common dental emergencies and how dentists go about saving their patients’ teeth:

1. A severely cracked or broken tooth

A severely cracked or broken tooth that leaves the pulp chamber compromised typically counts as a dental emergency. The pulp chamber is the inner part of a tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels. That area of the tooth is sealed off from all the irritants in the mouth, but severe damage to a tooth’s structure can leave it opened up. Signs the damage to a tooth has reached the pulp chamber include blood coming from inside the tooth and excruciating pain.

An emergency dentist can fix a severely broken tooth by performing a root canal to clean out its contents. This protects the tooth against infection. The tooth is sealed with a rubbery filling called gutta-percha and covered with a crown. The crown prevents what is left of the tooth from breaking apart and protects it against bite forces. The crown also restores the appearance of the tooth.

2. A loose tooth

A loose tooth can be the result of trauma to the face or issues like periodontal disease. A loose tooth will eventually fall out of its socket if left untreated, so it counts as a dental emergency. A dentist can address this by using an oral splint to hold it in place so it can bond with tissues and bone structures around it, restoring its stability.

3. A knocked-out tooth

In this scenario, the tooth can be reattached if the patient makes it to a dentist within one or two hours. Patients should secure the tooth when the injury occurs and transport it in warm milk or saliva. A knocked-out tooth that cannot be reattached can be replaced with an implant.

4. An infected tooth

An infected tooth can be treated with a root canal. The dentist uses the procedure to remove infected soft tissues in the tooth and applies medication to the area to treat the infection. The tooth is sealed and covered with a crown to protect it. An infected tooth that has been allowed to fester might require extraction to prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of the body.

We can save your tooth

Dealing with a dental emergency? Our emergency dentist might be able to save your tooth. Give us a call or head to our Chicago clinic to get the treatment you need.

Request an appointment here: https://smilesonmichigan.com or call Smiles On Michigan at (312) 509-9492 for an appointment in our Chicago office.

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