Emergency Dental Care in Indianapolis, IN
The need for emergency dental care in Indianapolis, IN, doesn’t always happen at the most convenient time. Whether you wake up in the middle of the night with a terrible toothache or have a tooth knocked out at a weekend baseball game, you need dental care right away. Indiana Emergency Dental is here to help.
Common Dental Emergencies and How to Handle Them
It isn’t always easy to know if you’re dealing with an emergency that needs prompt attention. When it comes to something as important as your oral health, we encourage you to err on the side of caution. Below are some of the most common dental emergencies we treat at our Indianapolis practice.
Chipped or cracked tooth
A small chip or crack in your tooth may not seem like a big deal, but they often grow larger and cause more significant problems. For example, a chip or crack provides an opening for bacteria to get inside your tooth and cause an infection. Your infected tooth may then require extraction or root canal treatment. You may also feel self-conscious about your chipped or cracked tooth from a cosmetic standpoint.
Lost or damaged dental restoration
When a crown or filling breaks or falls off completely, repairing or replacing it in a timely manner is essential. Please bring the restoration to your appointment to help us determine what happened and how to fix it.
Knocked out tooth
When trauma to the mouth causes you to lose a tooth or part of a tooth, our dentists may be able to reattach it if you get to our office in under two hours. If you can locate the tooth, pick it up by the crown and run it under warm water to remove any dirt, blood, or debris attached to it. You should then place the tooth in a small, sealed container and bring it with you to your emergency appointment.
In the event we cannot reattach the tooth, our dentists will discuss tooth replacement options such as dentures, implants, or a dental bridge. You will need to schedule another appointment to have your artificial tooth installed.
Severe tooth pain
Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong and requires your immediate attention. When you have a toothache that doesn’t respond to home remedies like applying a topical gel or an ice pack, don’t just ignore it, hoping that it will go away.
An intense toothache could indicate an infection, tooth decay, or some type of dental disease. We will determine the cause of your toothache and offer an appropriate solution, such as getting a dental crown or having a cavity filled.
Tooth abscess
If your gums feel swollen, and you notice pus on your gumline, it could indicate that you have an abscessed tooth. An abscess is a serious infection that causes significant pain in addition to damaging your teeth and gums. An untreated abscess can even spread the infection to the rest of your body. The primary causes of an abscessed tooth include:
- A cracked, chipped, or broken tooth
- Gum disease
- Severe tooth decay
- Tooth injury
To treat your abscessed tooth, our dentist makes a small incision on your gum line and drains the pus from your gums. You may also need a root canal to preserve the tooth.
Don’t Let a Dental Emergency Threaten Your Oral Health
Most people experience an urgent dental situation at least once in their lifetime. When you need emergency dental care in Indianapolis, IN, you can feel confident that you’re in good hands with our team of experienced dentists. Please contact us right away if you find yourself in one of the situations described above. We also treat several other types of dental emergencies not listed here.
