You’ve had a toothache for 2 days and it’s now keeping you awake and preventing you from focusing on your daily life. It’s time to contact an emergency dental team!
But while you are on your way to this appointment, you may be curious as to how it may differ.
When it comes to attending your emergency dental appointment, what can you expect to happen? Here is a rough guide to help you through your emergency appointment.
Diagnostics
First things first; you are at an emergency dentist Dublin, so what’s the cause?
Even if you are positive that the emergency team won’t have seen anything like your issue before, rest assured that they probably have, and they will be able to diagnose and treat it correctly.
Be aware that if your issue is too extreme for them to manage, you may be referred to your nearby hospital for treatment.
Treatment
If you have one of the common issues that occur in emergency dental clinics, you can expect to receive prompt treatment, although it may only be designed to be used temporarily.
Many emergency dental teams can fit fillings and repair chips and cracks, but for more extensive work, such as root canals or crowns, you will need to seek the help of your regular dental team.
Pain relief
If you have a dental emergency, you are probably going to be in some discomfort.
And so, your emergency dental team should be able to provide you with pain relief, when you are in the chair and when you get home.
In a similar vein, if they detect a more serious issue like a dental abscess, they will likely prescribe you antibiotics. This will help the infection to heal and will ensure that when the follow-up occurs with your regular team, it will be easier to manage.
Follow-ups
Depending on the cause of your dental emergency, you may be booked in for a follow-up appointment with your regular dental team.
If you have suffered from a dental abscess, you may need to have a root canal performed to prevent it from coming back. Alternatively, you may need to have a crown fitted, which cannot be performed by an emergency dental team; a temporary crown can be fitted, but to complete the treatment, a regular appointment will be needed.
Some emergency dental teams can remove severely decayed teeth, but this may vary depending on where you are located.
Preventing dental emergencies
Unfortunately, for issues such as lost fillings or crowns, there is often no way to prevent these from occurring. The same applies to chips and cracks on the enamel unless you play sports and wear a mouthguard.
But in the case of toothache and abscesses, the easiest way to prevent these is by attending dental check-ups regularly. This will allow your dental team to treat any signs of decay with fluoride sealants or, in more severe cases, place a filling or crown to restore the tooth. Also, try to maintain good oral hygiene and avoid consuming excessive amounts of sugar to keep your teeth and gums in good condition.
