Emergency Dental Services in Albuquerque, NM

A dental emergency is any problem with your teeth or gums that requires immediate care from your dentist. Dental emergencies can be severely uncomfortable and very painful. 

A dentist must be contacted immediately in case of a dental emergency. Listed below are a few common dental emergencies that require immediate emergency dental care:

• Broken tooth due to injury, accident, etc.
• Chipped or broken teeth due to biting on hard objects like ice cubes, nuts, and candies.
• A knocked-out tooth because of a fall or sports injury.
• Severe toothache that is caused by cavities, abscesses, impacted wisdom teeth, gum diseases, etc.
• Difficulty in eating because of a broken or damaged tooth.
• Swelling of the face due to the infection in the tooth.
• Constant bleeding from the gum or mouth area.

In the event of the following issues, you need to visit your dentist in Albuquerque, NM, immediately to prevent the situation from getting severe. On your first visit to our dentist, he will examine your condition and determine the cause of the problem. Our dentist will then recommend the appropriate treatments to help you recover quickly.

Who Is An Emergency Dentist?

An emergency dentist is someone who is able to deal with both minor and severe dental problems and take the appropriate steps to treat the problem. If you experience severe trauma to your teeth and gums, you should visit your local hospital's emergency dentist as soon as possible.

Emergency dentists use various techniques to restore teeth after an injury and preserve the bone structure. If your tooth has been completely knocked out, the dentist may be able to put it back in the socket temporarily. Your tooth will be stabilized with a splint, and you may need to visit the dentist several times before your tooth can be permanently restored. Root canal therapy is also a common treatment for a tooth that has been injured. The treatment involves removing the affected tissue and disinfecting the pulp area to prevent infection. After the damaged tissue is removed, the canals will be filled with a material that prevents future infections.

How Long Can a Dental Emergency Wait?

According to the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), tooth pain should be treated as soon as possible to avoid more invasive restorative treatments. Most dentists are able to fit patients into their schedule the same day they call in. However, if the pain is unbearable and the patient cannot reach the dentist's office right away, he can use over-the-counter medication to alleviate the pain until he can get into the dentist's chair.

Dental Filling

A tooth cavity happens when plaque accumulates on the teeth and coats them when one does not properly brush or floss. This may lead to infection and bacteria growth inside the teeth, which may result in cavities. Our dentist may recommend a cavity filling to treat this condition and prevent it from becoming worse. 

Our dentist will first numb the area to prevent the patient from experiencing any pain during the procedure. Then he will remove the decayed part of the tooth using a drill. After that, he will clean the tooth surface and fill it with a material called composite resin to complete the restoration process.

Root Canal Treatment

A root canal treatment is one of the dental procedures performed to treat an infected or damaged tooth or inflamed nerves. The infected tooth could either have a cavity or a fracture in the enamel and dentin layers. Bacteria enter the damaged area of the tooth and cause an infection of the pulp tissue inside the tooth. 

During a root canal treatment, our dentist will first administer local anesthesia to numb the area surrounding the affected tooth. Next, he will create an opening to access the pulp chamber of the tooth. Then, they will remove the infected pulp and clean the canals using a small file in order to remove the debris from inside the canals. Once the area is cleaned and sealed, the area is allowed to heal. After that, the dentist will restore the tooth with a crown to hold the tooth together and protect it against further damage.

Dental Crowns

A dental crown is a cap that is placed over a tooth to restore its function and appearance. It is made of metal or porcelain-fused-to-metal materials. Our dentist will remove the damaged part of the tooth and then place the crown over the tooth to cover it. For extensive cases that require root canals and multiple fillings, a crown may be necessary to hold the tooth to preserve its integrity and structure. 

Tooth Extraction

If a tooth is severely decayed or has sustained a severe fracture and cannot be restored with a filling or a root canal procedure, our dentist may recommend a tooth extraction. The goal of tooth extraction is to relieve your pain and restore your oral health. 

Before removing your tooth, our dentist will numb the area to lessen any discomfort during the procedure. He may also prescribe an antibiotic medication to prevent infection and tissue inflammation following the procedure. The antibiotic will also help with any swelling and pain you may be feeling after the extraction.

Common Dental Emergencies

A dental emergency is any dental issue that poses an immediate risk to your oral health. Dental emergencies can strike at any time and without warning. Some of the common dental emergencies are cracked teeth and broken teeth.

• Cracked tooth

A cracked tooth is a common dental emergency and needs immediate attention. If the crack extends below the gum line, however, it may be a more serious issue. If you have one or more teeth that feel pain when you bite down or chew food, you may have a cracked tooth. If you have a cracked tooth, you should rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to your cheek to reduce any swelling. Then you should contact a dentist immediately to diagnose and treat your cracked tooth.

• Broken tooth

A broken tooth can create a jagged edge that can irritate or injure the soft tissues inside the mouth. Additionally, a broken tooth can make it difficult to eat and speak normally. If you are dealing with a chipped or broken tooth, you should call your dentist's office as soon as possible. They will schedule you for an emergency appointment so they can repair your tooth quickly and prevent any further damage. If the crack extends below the gum line, your dentist might recommend root canal therapy to treat the damaged root and prevent infection and tooth loss. 

To learn more about the emergency dental procedures offered by Osuna Dental Care, call us at (505) 884-1989 or visit our dental office located at 8400 Osuna Rd NE #5A, Albuquerque, NM 87111.