Emergency Dental Pain: What to Expect at Your Appointment

Dental emergencies never show up with a warning. You will always need more preparation for a dental emergency. In most cases, you will go on about your day when your tooth decides to stop everything you are doing and contact our emergency dentist in Tarzana.

Toothaches manifest in different forms; some could be mild throbbing pain, while others could be sharp and debilitating. The pain can be immense, and there is no other choice but to make your way to our dentist’s office.

Whether you have throbbing or sharp, debilitating pain, you must know what to expect once you set foot in our office. So, continue reading to explore the activities that will occur when you seek treatment for dental pain.

Examination

Once you contact our emergency dentist near you, the whole dental team will get ready to receive you. When you come in, there is no time to waste. So our dentist will proceed by performing dental exams. The purpose of the dental exam is to ascertain what the exact problem could be.

Toothaches can arise for several reasons; one could be a tooth infection. The only way our dentist could be sure is by taking x-rays to check the cause of the toothache. At times, you could know the origin of the pain, especially if you have had treatment in that specific area.

There is also another scenario where you could have a clue where the problem could be, so our dentist will also check out the problem area.

Our dentist will also perform physical exams to check for signs of concern, such as gum inflammation or infection. Exposed roots or nerves could cause excruciating pain and are a major reason for dental emergencies.

Other things our dentist will look for would be crowns falling out or damage to wisdom teeth. If a tooth is broken, it could not only cause pain, but it could be rough, which would mean that it can cause lacerations to your gums.

Pain Relief

Toothaches can be unbearable; therefore, you might need to visit our emergency dentist to seek pain relief. So, after the examination, our dentist will take every step to ensure that the root cause of your pain is dealt with. You will get pain relievers, which are usually fast acting; however, antibiotics will take several hours to kick in.

That’s why our dentist will not wait but act immediately to ensure that you get some pain relief. You will also receive some pain medication you will take home after your treatment.

You can expect our dentist to inject you with a pain reliever, then use an anti-inflammatory drug and antibiotics to deal with any swelling or clear up any infection.

Fix the Dental Emergency

The x-rays and physical exam should be sufficient to deduce the root cause of your toothache. The next step will be to deal with a dental emergency. Even though there is some pain relief because of the pain relievers, it doesn’t mean the issue is solved.

So, if it is an infection, then expect to under root canal therapy. In most cases, toothaches arise because the nerves have been exposed. Therefore, our endodontist near you will access the pulp chamber to clean the tooth and remove the infected part.

Our dentist will numb the area and then drill the affected tooth to access the inner parts. The pulp usually contains the nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels. Our dentist will clean the pulp chamber, remove the infected or dead tissue, and seals the tooth. Fixing the underlying problem might not be completed during a single appointment and might need an additional visit.

Follow Up Appointments

If the treatment is complete, then our dentist will schedule a follow-up dental appointment. The follow-up appointment will enable our dentist to check on your progress. It is also the time when our dentist can tell if you have been following the aftercare instructions.

Referrals

If your case is severe and needs to be attended to by other specialists, our dentist will make the referral. Our dentist may opt to deal with the emergency but refer you to other specialists to help you get the help you need.

In any case, if you need an emergency dentist in Tarzana, contact us at LA Endodontics; we would love to help you.