Dental emergencies are a common problem impacting people of all ages, although the majority of traumatic dental injuries affect children and teenagers. Whether you suffer from tooth trauma or develop a sudden toothache with no obvious explanation, it’s important to get fast relief for your dental emergency. When the injury is limited to your teeth and gums, the best option is to be treated promptly by a dental professional rather than going to the emergency room. Timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment of dental emergencies isn’t always carried out when patients go to hospital emergency departments. At Dr. Emma Wu And Associates, we offer emergency dentistry for many problems, including painful toothaches; knocked out, dislodged, abscessed, cracked, or chipped teeth; painful tooth root infections; and a condition called dry socket. If you require an emergency dentist near you in Belmont, MA, our team is here to promptly relieve your pain and restore your oral health. Call us, and we’ll do everything we can to work you into our schedule!
We offer a variety of emergency dentistry treatments at Dr. Emma Wu And Associates including root canals, repair of a loose or lost filling, and treatment of painful infections.
Dental emergencies require a team that can provide quick care. Our modern dental office combines a team with decades of experience helping patients with modern dental technology like CEREC dental crowns that can be manufactured and installed on the same day. Give us a call to set up an emergency appointment at our offices in Belmont.
Traumatic dental injuries involving either direct or indirect impact can result in a knocked out tooth. A knocked out tooth that has been partially or completely dislodged requires immediate attention. It’s important to handle the tooth gently, rinse it quickly in cold water and avoid touching the root surface. If you can’t put the tooth back in the socket, placing it in milk at room temperature can preserve cell viability for up to six hours. The chance of successful replantation depends to a large degree on the length of time the tooth has been out of the socket and how it was stored. If the tooth is replaced in the socket by Dr. Emma Wu within the proper timeframe and held secure with a splint, it’s possible to save it.
When a tooth is luxated, that means it’s dislocated or dislodged from its normal position. During an injury, the tooth can get pushed forward, backward or sideways, partially out of or into the socket. Treatment for a dislodged tooth in North Andover, MA involves Dr. Emma Wu repositioning and stabilizing it. Splinting is only recommended for teeth that are still mobile after repositioning. Dislodged permanent teeth usually require root canal treatment.
When a toothache strikes, this can be debilitating, but being aware of warning signs and seeking prompt treatment can help prevent pain from worsening. Typically, warning signs include discomfort when biting down, sensitivity to heat or cold and irritation when brushing or flossing. A toothache accompanied by swelling or fever often indicates a dental infection, which requires quick attention. If pain is caused by a fractured tooth, sometimes this can’t be repaired and the tooth needs to be extracted.
A tooth abscess is a buildup of infected material (pus) in the center of a tooth caused by a bacterial infection. Small openings in tooth enamel caused by decay or trauma allow bacteria to enter and infect dental pulp. An infection due to an injury, cavity or previous dental work can cause an abscess to form at the base of the tooth root. At Dr. Emma Wu And Associates, we have extensive experience treating dental abscesses with emergency root canal treatment.
Composite bonding is an effective and fast option to repair chips in molars. Dr. Emma Wu places the tooth-colored resin on top of your chipped tooth, shapes it and then uses a special dental light to harden it. Porcelain veneers are the preferred method for fixing chips in front teeth. We provide a temporary resin veneer that you’ll wear until your final veneer comes back from the dental lab.
Dry socket occurs when the blood clot in an empty tooth socket doesn’t form or gets dislodged after a tooth extraction. The exposed underlying nerves and bone cause severe pain. While this painful complication only occurs in an estimated 0.5–5.6% of simple extractions, dry socket can impact up to 30% of cases following surgical removal of wisdom teeth. To prevent infection and resolve intense oral pain, call our practice immediately. Urgent dental care in North Andover, MA involves cleaning the empty socket and packing the space with medicated gauze. This process may need to be repeated until a new blood clot forms and pain subsides.
One of the most common dental emergencies is a knocked out tooth. When a tooth is knocked out it is possible to have the tooth re-implanted by a dentist if you take the appropriate steps:
Sometimes a tooth isn’t full knocked out but is instead broken, cracked, or chipped. It is important to understand the full impact of the damage. If the break or chip only affects the enamel exterior of the tooth it is less serious than if the tooth dentin or pulp is exposed. Enamel doesn’t contain nerves or blood vessels, so it is possible a break or crack that only impacted the enamel won’t lead to any pain. However, if the dentin or pulp is exposed this can lead to infection, toothaches, and other dental issues.
Chipped Teeth: If a tooth is chipped and there is no pain, it is possible the damage is purely cosmetic. In fact, it might not be a dental emergency. That said, you should still see a dentist to make sure and to discuss cosmetic or restorative solutions like crowns, veneers, fillings, or other options.
Cracked Teeth: If a tooth has a crack in it, you should see a dentist as soon as possible. A crack can often lead to a broken tooth if pressure is put on it, or can lead to infection and dental decay. A crown is often used to fix a cracked tooth.
Broken Teeth: If a tooth is broken, you should bring the fragment(s) of the tooth to your dentist. You should rinse out your mouth with warm water to remove any dirt or other debris. An ice pack or cold compress can help reduce pain/swelling on your way to the dentist.
Another common issue for patients is damage to a dental component like an implant, bridge, crown, or filling. Many dental components are designed to last long-term but eventually need to be replaced. If a component is loose this is often a sign that dental decay has eroded the tooth around the component (i.e. the filling or crown). If a dental instrument fully breaks or falls out, it can often expose your tooth to infection, decay, and other dental concerns. If you notice that a filling, crown, bridge, or implant is showing signs of damage, you should make a dental appointment as soon as possible. One recommendation, is to see a dentist who provides services like CEREC dental crowns so you can get your crown replaced in a single day.
The outermost layers of our teeth do not have blood vessels or nerves. So they are often very resistant to sensitivity and pain. When pain starts to erupt or sudden sensitivity occurs when eating/drinking, it is often a sign of underlying issues. When it comes to oral care, the earlier something is caught and addressed the better. Almost all dental issues progress over time. This means decay starts of as something completely reversible, then it becomes cavities that need to be removed and filled, then it becomes damage so severe that either the tooth has to be removed and replaced or services like root canals and dental crowns are needed. Addressing dental symptoms early is the best way to preserve your smile.
Making you comfortable and helping you heal are always our top priorities.
If you experience a dental emergency in Belmont, MA, we offer same- or next-day appointments. We’ll accurately diagnose the underlying cause of the problem, relieve your discomfort and always try to save your tooth and fully restore its function. We offer several types of sedation to alleviate dental anxiety and ensure your ultimate comfort. We accept insurance and offer third-party financing to help you pay for unexpected emergencies, because you shouldn’t have to worry about affording unplanned dental care.
PLEASE NOTE: If you’re having neck or head pain, are bleeding uncontrollably, are feeling dizzy, or have suffered severe trauma, please seek immediate medical attention by calling 911 or by getting transportation to the nearest medical facility. Medical personnel are best equipped to assist you with symptoms such as these.
Typically, yes. While different plans provide different coverage, most dental insurance plans cover medically necessary procedures. This coverage can range from full to partial, may include copays and deductibles, and might require authorization. It is important to check with your dentist to make sure they are in-network and to get a better understanding of how much a procedure may cost.
Dental emergencies can sometimes overlap with medical emergencies. If an emergency is life-threatening, or the injuries go beyond your mouth and impact the rest of your head, jaw, neck, or other parts of your body, you should go to a hospital’s emergency room. Life-threatening injuries that cause difficulty breathing, significant blood loss, or broken jawbones should be handled by an emergency department, while issues that primarily impact your dental health should be handled by dentists.
It depends on the toothache. There are four factors for toothaches that you should consider when making a same-day dental appointment:
A common dental emergency is suddenly losing a dental crown or dental bridge. Traditionally, if you go to a walk-in dental office with this problem, they will place a temporary crown on the tooth, take measurements, and send them to a lab that can create your replacement crown or bridge. This means waiting weeks or longer to get the full replacement. That said, there are many modern dental offices that provide same-day dental crowns and bridges. By using CEREC technology, measurements can be used alongside digital technology to design your crown and create it in the office. This means patients can receive emergency care and get a new crown in a single day. Here at Dr. Eamm Wu & Associates in North Andover, our office provides CEREC same-day dental treatments.
I understand the information disclosed in this form may be subject to re-disclosure and may no longer be protected by HIPAA privacy regulations and the HITECH Act.
