3 Services Offered By An Emergency Dentist

Visiting the dentist is one of the least favorite things that people do, but oral health is very important, and it's even more so, when you have an emergency. That's why you need to know what a 24-hour dentist can offer you in the event that you suffer a dental situation that can't wait for normal office hours. Here's a description of the things an emergency dentist can do for you.

Perform a Root Canal 

If you begin to experience severe and excruciating pain in your tooth that doesn't subside with medication, you may need to call an emergency dentist to perform a root canal. Root canals are necessary when the soft tissue of your tooth known as the pulp is infected and must be removed and filled in with replacement material. Root canals can occur after months and years of decay, or they can occur as a result of an injury to a tooth. But the presence of throbbing pain requires a visit to an emergency dentist, so that he can perform an emergency root canal to provide you with relief.

Treat Tooth Abscesses

A tooth abscess is a swelling that occurs near the root, and is often accompanied by burning pain and a visible inflammation that resembles a pimple that is filled with pus. An abscess is an infection, and it is usually a result of bacteria that has entered your gums or your tooth through a chip or crack. Pus is liquid material that contains bacteria, tissue and white blood cells.

If your tooth develops an abscess, you must call an emergency dentist immediately, because it's imperative that he drain the pus to prevent it from spreading to other parts of your body. After your emergency dentist has drained the pus and stopped the infection, he will prescribe antibiotics to kill any lingering infection in your body and then he will decide if your tooth needs to be extracted, or if a root canal is required to fix the problem.

Mend a Broken Tooth

If you suffer an injury in an accident or while playing sports that breaks one of your teeth, you need to see an emergency dentist. Broken teeth, especially ones in which the enamel and the dentin (the secondary layer) are fractured, may cause the nerve of your tooth to die if not treated right away. Fractured teeth can also lead to infection that can spread through your body.

An emergency dentist will drill away the jagged edges of the fracture, then provide you with a temporary crown to fill in the broken piece, while a permanent crown is made from an impression your dentist takes of your teeth.

If you experience these or other issues with your teeth, contact an emergency dental clinic like Bath Street Dental Practice before the pain increases.