3 Things That Emergency Dentists Can Do For You

Your general dentist can provide the routine dental care you need on a regular basis. However, general dentists often book appointments months in advance, which means you may not always be able to get a fast appointment when trouble arises. Emergency dentists provide prompt dental care for people in need. Emergency dental treatment can help you save loose or decayed teeth. It can even help you save teeth that have been knocked out of your mouth by force. Here are some things that emergency dentists can do for you if you make an appointment:

1. Remove tooth decay

As sugar and other food particles come into contact with saliva in the mouth, they form a sticky substance called plaque, which clings to tooth enamel. Over time, plaque can eat away at tooth enamel, allowing bacteria to enter the tooth. This process is known as tooth decay, and it can cause pain and cavities in formerly healthy teeth. If you're experiencing dental pain, you may have a cavity in one or more of your teeth. An emergency dentist can relieve your pain by removing tooth decay and filling the resulting hole with composite resin or amalgam. 

2. Splint loose or detached teeth

Teeth are attached to your mouth by roots, which extend below your gums and into your jaw bone. Unfortunately, sufficient force can loosen teeth from their moorings or even knock them out. This experience can be quite painful, and it can also lead to permanent tooth loss without prompt medical attention. An emergency dentist can save loose and detached teeth by splinting them to healthy teeth in your mouth. A splint will stabilize your affected tooth while your body heals itself over the course of a few weeks. 

3. Perform root canal therapy

Sometimes tooth decay is too extensive to be solved with a simple filling. If your tooth has become infected or bacteria has reached the pulp of your tooth, you will need a root canal. Root canal therapy allows dentists to clean out the interior of your tooth, removing damaged pulp and cleaning the cavity left behind. After root canal therapy has been performed, your tooth will be filled with an inert material and protected with a dental crown. Emergency dentists can perform root canals for patients, but patients will still need to return to their regular dentists to have a permanent crown placed over their treated tooth.

For more information about dental emergencies, visit a local dental clinic.

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