Toothache and Dental Pain Solutions
Pain is the body’s way of alerting you to a problem. We treat all types of dental emergencies in our South Calgary dental office.
Toothache and Dental Pain Solutions
Replacing missing teeth can help patients restore their smiles and reduce complications such as bone loss and a shifting bite.
Is a Toothache Keeping You Awake at Night?
Emergency Dentistry in South Calgary, AB
A toothache can mean you have an underlying oral health condition. Because some dental health conditions do not cause symptoms early on, seeing your dentist in South Calgary as soon as possible is a good idea.
Your dentist understands that some emergencies, especially when pain derails your plans, should not wait.
With tooth pain, you may also have a dental infection, spreading to surrounding teeth and putting your oral health at serious risk.
We never want you to be in pain or risk your smile, which is why we treat dental emergencies in South Calgary, and we will get you in front of your dentist as soon as possible.
If you have a dental emergency, you might contact a member of our dental team today. We can assess your situation and make a determination for your comfort and care.
Meanwhile, you can read through the options below to learn more about how we provide emergency dentistry in South Calgary.
Emergency Dental Visits in T2J 7A4
If you think you have an emergency in South Calgary, contact Avenida Dental Centre. We rally around you and work to get you in front of our dentist as soon as possible.
If you cannot determine whether your issue is a true dental emergency, we encourage you to call a member of our team. We can assess your symptoms and make a recommendation to treat the problem.
When you arrive at your emergency appointment, we will further assess your situation. Our priorities are easing your pain and restoring your oral health.
The nature of your visit will depend on the type of emergency, but in some cases, we stabilize the situation—treating your pain and starting treatment—but continue therapy during a secondary appointment.
If you have experienced trauma outside of your mouth, we strongly urge you to seek emergency care in your local hospital first. You can contact a member of our team once you’ve been declared safe and stable. Your emergency dentist in South Calgary wants you to be safe.
Symptoms of a Dental Emergency
Oral health changes or toothaches can be frightening, and we always welcome your call to discuss your situation.
However, each patient has a different level of pain tolerance, and signs can be subtle or pronounced. Typically, one or more of the following requires intervention from your emergency dentist:
- Inflammation or tooth pain
- A discoloured tooth
- Tooth sensitivity
- A blister on the gum
- Loose or knocked-out tooth
- Fractured or broken tooth
- Fractured or broken restoration
It’s impossible to consider every scenario when it comes to your oral health, which is why we encourage you to contact us if you notice oral health changes or if you’ve sustained an injury to your mouth.
We never want you to wait it out and hope for improvement. Some dental emergencies can compromise your tooth and even your overall wellness.
Remember, uncontrolled bleeding, head or neck trauma, or a suspected back injury caused by sports or an auto accident may require emergency medical attention in the nearest hospital to rule out any life-threatening conditions. If ever you’re in an accident, we always suggest getting checked out medically first.
Saving a Knocked-Out Tooth
In many cases, when an adult (permanent) tooth is knocked out, your dentist can save the tooth with timely intervention. If your tooth is knocked out or broken, pick it up gently—take care not to handle the root.
Do not scrub the tooth, but we encourage you to try placing it back in its place in the gums and hold it there while you contact us. If this is not possible, keep the tooth in milk or saliva until your emergency dental appointment in South Calgary.
If the tooth cannot be saved, we offer a variety of tooth replacement options to restore your smile, including dental implants and dental bridges.
What Is a Root Canal Infection?
A root infection means you have an infection deep in your tooth—the pulp and root area—that requires treatment. A root infection is commonly painful, but in some cases, it may only cause swelling and a blister on the gum if the nerve is damaged and not able to conduct pain.
If you do experience symptoms, you may notice:
- Toothache
- Jaw pain and swelling
- A blister on the gum
The first step is diagnosis. Then your dentist numbs the treatment area and extracts the pain-causing root and surrounding pulp. We close this tooth with a temporary filling. In a few weeks, you come back for a permanent filling or a dental crown—the latter if the infection weakened your tooth.
A dental crown is a cap that goes over your vulnerable and treated tooth. It is coloured to match your surrounding teeth. This crown helps protect your tooth from breakage and restores your bite function following treatment.
You may notice mild soreness for a few days following your root canal therapy, but medication should take care of this.
What if I Need an Extraction?
Extraction is typically the last resort unless a patient chooses this option. Our dental office provides removal when a tooth fractures below the gum line or is too decayed for treatment.
The extraction process is very straightforward, and we always numb the area before removing your tooth. Following recovery, we can discuss tooth replacement options to help restore your bite and the appearance of your smile.
Tooth replacement is beneficiala because your remaining teeth may move toward this new smile gap, creating alignment issues and undue tooth wear.
Managing Dental Pain
When you have oral pain, you can rely on store-bought pain medication if approved by your medical doctor until your appointment with our South Calgary dentist.
Dental conditions that can sometimes wait a day or two include:
- A lost filling if there is no infection
- A chipped tooth without a toothache
- A broken denture or partial denture
- Mild tooth sensitivity
We Welcome Emergency Patients in South Calgary
Whether you are a new or existing patient, your dental emergency will receive the highest priority. Our clinical or office staff will likely have some questions to help us prepare for your arrival, and better treat your situation quickly.
Dental emergency visits often include:
- A problem-focused exam to learn the cause of your emergency
- A short consultation to discuss your symptoms
- X-rays of the afflicted area
- Treatments like tooth extraction or root canal therapy
- Discussion of treatment options and fees
In many cases, we can complete treatment in a single visit. Some conditions may, however, require a follow-up appointment.
Are You Experiencing Tooth Pain?
Unfortunately, dental pain rarely goes away on its own and may become more severe with time. Even if the pain goes away for a while, it will return unless the underlying condition is treated.
At Avenida Dental Centre, we adhere to the Alberta Fee Guideline. You can read more about it here.
MEET OUR DOCTOR
General Dentist
I grew up in Medicine Hat, Alberta. At the time it was a city of 55,000 but felt very much like a small town. After two years of study at Medicine Hat College, I moved to Edmonton to begin my dental education at the University of Alberta. Upon graduation in 2011, I decided to further my dental training by entering a general practice residency offered by the University of British Columbia. This program, based in Vancouver General Hospital, provided me with the opportunity to further my dental skills, knowledge and …
We Welcome New Patients on an Emergency Basis
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Breaking a tooth may or may not cause you discomfort. If it’s not uncomfortable, you might wait to contact your dentist. However, in either case, a broken tooth might lead to more significant problems, and you may want to contact your emergency dentist in South Calgary as soon as possible. Here’s what you need to know.
Even if it is not causing you pain, a broken tooth allows bacteria to enter into your tooth, and it can make its way to your nerve. When this happens, an infection can develop that will cause discomfort and result in the need for a tooth extraction if left untreated. Don’t let this happen; call for emergency dentistry in Lake Bonavista right away if you have a broken tooth.
When you’re proactive about treating a broken tooth, a dental crown can repair your compromised tooth. A crown fits over your damaged tooth and replaces it with a porcelain restoration customized to look and feel like your natural tooth. Your new tooth crown blends seamlessly with your smile and provides all the functions you had before.
If you or a loved one is dealing with a broken tooth in South Calgary, protect your oral health by calling your emergency dental team at Avenida Dental Centre at (403) 225-0990 for prompt dental care.
Unfortunately a dental emergency will likely happen to everyone at some point in their life. Our south Calgary dentists will always find time in our schedule to help you get out of pain, most times the same day.
Like any injury or emergency situation, do your best to remain calm and let us worry about finding a solution. Below are a few common emergencies we encounter and how to best handle them at home:
Broken tooth:
Fractures or fillings coming out are quite common. Often these teeth will be quite sensitive to cold temperatures or biting hard foods. Until you’re able to visit us avoid hard foods or anything too cold that could cause you sensitivity. If needed, take some over the counter ibuprofen or Advil.
Knocked out tooth:
Sports, especially hockey are quite notorious for this. If you’re unfortunate enough to have this happen, do NOT touch the root of the tooth. Either try to place the tooth back in the socket or temporarily store the tooth in milk. Time is of the essence as the chances of success in re-implanting this tooth drop significantly with time. We always have a dentist on call after hours if you ever experience a severe emergency.
Swelling:
This often happens with infected teeth or gums. If the swelling is very rapid and is noticeable in the mirror, please call us ASAP or visit your nearest walk-in clinic.
Cuts or lacerations:
If you experienced some type of accident and require stitches, please visit the nearest ER immediately. The physician will recommend afterwards to come visit us to assess your teeth for any damage.
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