Emergency Endodontics

The Importance of Immediate Care

Immediate endodontic care gets you relief from your pain and discomfort, reduces your risk of future complications, and saves you time and money. At ONE ENDO®, we offer same-day, after-hours, and weekend care. We have an emergency doctor on call at all times of the week, from Monday through Sunday. If you’re not sure if you’re experiencing an emergency, we recommend booking a consultation as soon as possible.

Pulpotomies vs. Pulpectomies

The two most common emergency endodontic treatments are pulpotomies (baby root canals) and pulpectomies (root canals). A pulpotomy involves the partial removal of a tooth's nerve. This procedure is only a "quick fix" to treat emergent dental pain. The tooth is medicated and temporarily sealed until the root canal procedure can be completed at a later subsequent visit. A pulpectomy involves the complete removal of nerve tissue in a tooth as the first step in root canal treatment. Medication and a temporary seal is then placed until a second appointment in which the permanent root filling is complete.

A dental emergency is any injury, damage, or infection of the teeth that requires immediate treatment, is causing severe pain, or is causing unstoppable bleeding and swelling. These issues can be caused by a variety of things such as untreated decay or gum disease, dental trauma, or broken teeth caused by excessive grinding.

Did you know that a toothache can be considered a dental emergency? That’s because tooth pain is a sign that something is wrong with the tooth, whether it has been damaged from injury or decay. 

A healthy tooth does not exhibit signs of pain or discomfort so experiencing significant pain signifies that the tooth needs to be examined and treated immediately. Severe pain in a tooth can be a sign of damaged pulp or infection. If left untreated, the infection can spread to the surrounding teeth or throughout the body, and in severe cases, can even lead to sepsis. The following are all considered dental emergencies:

What separates a dental emergency from regular dental treatment is the urgency and severity of the problem. If you can wait to seek treatment, the pain is manageable, and you do not have severe damage to your teeth that could cause excessive bleeding, infection, or damage to the inside of your mouth, it is most likely not a dental emergency.

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While tooth pain can be a sign of a dental emergency in cases where the pain is severe and accompanied by a fever, swelling, or abscess, if the pain is mild and not accompanied by any other symptoms, you can likely wait to make a regular dental appointment. 

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A broken tooth that does not have sharp edges that can cut your mouth and isn’t causing pain in your teeth or jaw, is also not considered an emergency. Since the broken tooth won’t cause any soft tissue damage and isn’t causing you pain, it does not need immediate treatment. However, we do recommend you make an appointment as soon as possible.

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Finally, if you have lost dental work such as fillings or crowns, this can be temporarily fixed with temporary dental cement found at the pharmacy until you can get an appointment. Dental emergencies are reserved for patients who have urgent and severe dental problems.

How To Avoid A Dental Emergency

How do you avoid a dental emergency? It’s no secret that the best way to avoid dental problems is to take care of your teeth. However, many patients still neglect their oral health in subtle or serious ways. The following oral health tips will keep tooth decay and gum disease away for many years to come:

RECEIVE EMERGENCY TREATMENT AT ONE ENDO®

About 85% of all dental emergencies are related to infected teeth, making this the most common type of dental emergency. If you think you may be experiencing a dental emergency or have questions about our emergency treatment, contact us as soon as possible so we can help to save your tooth, relieve pain, and more.