Emergency Dentist — Painesville, OH
Quick Relief & Repair for Smiles
You can’t fully plan for dental emergencies; they just tend to happen. That said, you need to act quickly when facing one – the situation will worsen otherwise. Luckily, there’s one thing you can do to get such crucial care: see your emergency dentist in Painesville! With our dental team at your side, your pain will ease and your oral health will recover. A visit with our office will thus save you the time, money, and hassle of an ER visit. To learn more, just keep reading or contact us today.
Why Choose Us for Emergency Dental Care?
- Same-Day Emergency Appointments
- Availability for Evenings & Weekends
- A Friendly and Well-Trained Dental Team
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
Even if you’ve never gotten urgent oral care before, you don’t need to panic. Our office is happy to give you a rundown of how it works. So, here are four things to expect from your emergency dental visit:
- A Same-Day Appointment – Once you’ve contacted us, we’ll book you for the earliest available time we have. (You may even see us the same day you call!) Plus, we can provide first-aid tips over the phone.
- An Emergency Exam – Right when you arrive for the visit, our team will perform a quick emergency exam. This step lets us learn the source and extent of your problem. (In the short-term, the exam will also reduce your immediate pain.)
- A Review of Findings – After the oral exam, our dentists will show you their preliminary findings. They’ll then suggest some possible procedures. Next, our practice will draft a custom treatment plan based on your preferences. (While outlining the plan, we’ll explain your procedure’s estimated price and timeframe.)
- Top-Quality Dental Care – Our team will quickly fix your dental issue once the treatment plan is drafted. After all, you can count on us for fillings, root canal therapy, or anything else you need. The ultimate result will be a healthy smile and gums!
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies may have their differences, but some are more common than others. You should thus visit us immediately if you suffer one. As it happens, our team is well-equipped to treat a wide range of common dental emergencies. Therefore, don’t hesitate to call us if you experience any of the following.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies
Depending on what type of dental emergency you are experiencing, your treatment could vary. For example, those who have tooth pain may only need a dental filling, while others could need root canal therapy and a crown to address an infection. It all comes down to your unique situation. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should skip treatment you need to address a dental emergency. We’ll work with your directly to build a treatment plan that fits into your budget.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
Although our Painesville emergency dentist is always here to restore decayed, cracked, and otherwise damaged teeth, they also want to help prevent that from happening in the first place. While not all dental emergencies can be avoided, there are steps you can take to dramatically reduce your risk of experiencing one going forward. For example, you should:
Visit Your Dentist Twice a Year
Remember, your biannual visits to our office play an essential role in treating decay and eliminating infections before same-day emergency care is required. So, if it’s been longer than six months since your last checkup and cleaning, now’s the time to schedule your next one! That way, we can conduct a thorough oral exam as well as a meticulous cleaning, screening for oral cancer and removing built-up plaque in the process.
Maintain a Good Oral Hygiene Regimen At Home
Of course, taking care of your smile on a daily basis is crucial as well. In addition to brushing and flossing consistently, we recommend cleaning your tongue and rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthwash daily. Furthermore, you should replace your toothbrush every three to four months and be mindful of timing. After all, quickly wetting the bristles of your toothbrush and scrubbing your teeth for 30 seconds won’t do the trick!
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
There are a few things you shouldn’t eat (or at least limit) for the sake of your oral health, like sugary foods and drinks. After all, sugar is one of the leading causes of tooth decay, which leaves your teeth considerably more vulnerable to cracks and fractures. Instead, try to focus on adding nutrient-dense foods to your diet, like whole apples, raw celery, sweet potatoes, and plain yogurt. These will give your body the nutrients it needs to keep your smile in tip-top shape!
Wear a Mouthguard During Sports
If you participate in any sports (even solo ones, like skateboarding), you need to wear a mouthguard. This dental device may be small, but it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent a knocked-out tooth, soft tissue injury, and the like while being active.
Note: We also recommend wearing a nightguard if you chronically clench or grind your teeth. Sometimes, this habit goes unnoticed for years because it only happens at night, which is another reason why it’s so important to visit us every six months for an exam.
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
Whether you’re trying to take off a bottle cap, open a package, or remove a clothing tag, you shouldn’t use your teeth. Although they are sharp, they can quickly break under the pressure. Plus, you introduce your mouth to countless bacteria in the process, which can enter your digestive tract within a matter of seconds. That’s why it’s always best to use the right tools instead.
Root Canals
A root canal, despite its extremely bad reputation, is a very useful procedure that allows our team to relieve the most severe dental pain and save teeth that would otherwise need to be removed. We use them when the innermost portion of a tooth, called the dental pulp, has become infected, which can lead to the mother of all toothaches. With a root canal, we can easily eliminate this pain while keeping you completely comfortable during the entire procedure.
Tooth Extractions
In general, we do what we can to preserve natural teeth as long as possible. However, there are times when a tooth must be removed. We usually perform this sort of “extraction” if:
- A tooth is too damaged to be restored
- Gum disease has deteriorated the bone supporting a tooth
- A baby tooth refuses to fall out naturally/is blocking an erupting adult tooth
- Room needs to be created for a denture/orthodontic treatment
Dental Emergency FAQs
What If My Toothache Suddenly Disappears?
Many patients assume that, if their toothache disappears, they can cancel their appointment. However, a change in symptoms is often the result of the tooth dying, not the tooth getting better. For that reason, it’s still of the utmost importance that you get the restorative care you need.
How Should I Sleep with Tooth Pain?
Sometimes, getting to our office the same day simply isn’t possible. If that happens, it’s helpful to know what to do (and what to avoid) to get a good night’s sleep. The first step we recommend taking is choosing something soft and bland for dinner, like oatmeal. When you’re done, complete your oral hygiene regimen, use a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time, and take OTC pain medication. Finally, prop yourself up with a few pillows so your head stays elevated throughout the night.
How Do I Know if My Toothache is an Infection?
Infections are usually accompanied by dull, persistent throbbing or sharp, stabbing pain. That said, the only way to know for certain if that’s the culprit is by scheduling an exam. At our office, we will learn more about your symptoms, review your latest X-rays, and take a look at your tooth before providing a detailed diagnosis and reviewing your treatment options.
Should I Visit the Emergency Room First for Dental Emergencies?
Since hospitals don’t typically have dentists on-staff, we don’t recommend going to the ER if you have a toothache, one of your restorations is loose, or there is a crack in your enamel. Of course, there are a few exceptions. For example, if you’re experiencing any potentially life-threatening symptoms, like difficulty breathing, you should call 911 or head to the ER immediately.
Can I Pop a Dental Abscess on My Own?
If you notice a pimple-like bump on your gums, do not pop it (or attempt to pop it) on your own. Instead, schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Painesville so they can carefully open and drain it. They will also determine if any additional restorative care is needed, like a root canal.
What Can and Can’t You Eat with a Chipped or Cracked Tooth?
To prevent the tooth from breaking further, it’s crucial that you avoid raw carrots, hard candies, whole apples, and other crunchy foods. Instead, stick to extremely soft foods, like cottage cheese, applesauce, and vegetable soup. Make sure that you check the temperature beforehand as well because sensitivity is very common, even with small chips.
Should You Put a Knocked-Out Tooth in Water?
We do not recommend putting a knocked-out tooth in water because doing so can damage the root surface cells. You can, however, use water to gently rinse the tooth before placing it back in its socket or in a clean container filled with milk.
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