Not many people wished to visit the dentist on a regular basis. Most of us would rather deal with dental pain and discomfort using natural or over-the-counter remedies than to visit a dentist. Why? For so many reasons! For one, it is expensive to go to your dentist. We are also used to the idea that dental procedures are uncomfortable and pain-inducing. Sometimes, it is also hard to secure an appointment with your dentist.
Those points are just a few of the common reasons why people don’t visit their dentists that much. But what if you really need to, but your dentist is unavailable? This scenario is now a valid chance for you to ask for the services of an after hours dentist. Know what an after hours dentist is and what problems he can manage for you and your dental health.
Who is an after hours dentist?
An after-hours dentist is also called an emergency dentist. He is a licensed professional dentist who caters to dental emergencies, especially during off-hours, when regular dental offices and clinics are closed. These dental professionals can perform emergency and first aid procedures to solve your dental emergencies as efficiently as they can so he can save your teeth and address your discomfort.
What dental emergencies can this dentist solve?
We think that all dental problems can be relieved by pain medications and some natural remedies like clove oil, garlic, and whatnot. But what if the pain you are feeling does not let you sleep at night? What if a terrible accident causes you to knock down a tooth in the middle of the night or when your dentist is away on vacation? These are just some of the instances that would warrant for you to seek dental consultation with a dentist after hours. Here are some dental emergencies that an emergency dentist can address.
Toothache After Hours
We treat toothache the same way we treat headaches. We sleep on it, or if the pain is really making you uncomfortable, we drink a pain reliever like Advil or Tylenol. Some parents who know a thing or two about herbal medicine would ask their kids to dab a small amount of clove oil onto a cotton ball and apply it to the affected area. This step numbs and relieves the gums from swelling.
But do you know that no matter how mild or severe your tooth pain is that you still have to consider it as a dental emergency? This reasoning is because, according to some dentists and specialists, there are instances where the severity of a toothache does not necessarily define the severity of the tooth or gum damage. This simply means that serious tooth decay may cause mild or severe tooth pain. So, although it may sound a bit paranoid-like, if you feel pain in your tooth, it is best to consult your dentist about it.
Knocked out tooth
An accident or trauma directed to your face may cause your tooth to fall out. If this happens at an inconvenient time of the day when your dentist is already out of their office, it is best to secure an appointment with a dentist after hours as soon as possible. The emergency after-hour dentist can safely place the lost tooth back in the socket without hurting the nerves and damaging the integrity of the tooth, as long as you followed the steps on how to keep it immediately after the accident happened. If you are not aware of these first aid steps, here they are:
First Step Aids for Toothache
As soon as you knocked out a tooth, recover it, and securely hold it by the crown. NEVER touch the tooth root.- If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it with running water but do not scrub it.
- You can either store it in a container with milk (or at least distilled water) or you can keep it between your cheek and gums so it can maintain moisture from your saliva.
- If you can put it back into the socket, you may do so but very carefully, though. If you can’t, do not force it and just rush to the office of an after hours dentist because he has the right equipment and instruments to use for this scenario.
As soon as you knocked out a tooth, recover it, and securely hold it by the crown. NEVER touch the tooth root.
Tooth fracture
Not all tooth fractures are considered a dental emergency. If it is just a small chip in the tooth, then it can wait till tomorrow for your dentist to be available, so cosmetic bonding or other dental procedure can repair it. However, if the crack or fracture reaches the tooth roots and causes pain, then you need to see an after hours dentist right away. You also need their services if the chipping is sharp, and it has the tendency to cut or hurt your tongue, lip, or the insides of your cheeks. If you still have the chipped part of the tooth, keep it in a moist cloth or container, so there is still a good chance that the dentist can put it back.
The extent of the fracture may dictate what the 24 hours dentist would do and what dental procedure he will perform to save the tooth or at least the part that remains intact. They will extensively assess the condition of the chipped tooth and the remaining part of your pearly white to see if it is still salvageable.
Some would require you to undergo root canal therapy or dental bonding. Other 24-hour dentists would just relieve any discomfort you are feeling, instruct you on what to do next, and allow your dentist to perform the restoration the following day.