When you’re dealing with a lot of pain due to a dental emergency, it can be hard to orient yourself so that you can get the treatment you need. You may not even know whether you should talk to a dentist or not.
Both the ER and an emergency dentist can be useful in dealing with a painful dental emergency, and both can be ideal for different situations. If you’re dealing with a dental emergency, here’s which one you should go to.
Can People at the ER Treat My Dental Emergency?
If you go to the ER for a dental emergency, they’re going to be pretty limited in what they can help you with. For the most part, ER doctors are experts in stabilizing a patient as quickly as possible, or in relieving intense pain.
If you go for a dental emergency, they may be able to stop an incredibly serious problem before it gets worse, but you’ll probably have to follow that up with a trip to the dentist, who will actually be able to treat the underlying oral health issue.
When Should I Go to the ER?
That said, there are severe dental problems that are worth a visit to an emergency room. A broken jaw, a serious cut in the mouth, or an abscess that has swollen enough to affect your breathing are all incredibly urgent, which means you should see the person who will be able to help you most quickly. That is almost always the ER.
Moreover, if you’re in debilitating pain as a result of an oral problem, such that you don’t see yourself enduring it until you can get to an emergency appointment, ER doctors will be able to offer you pain relief until your dentist can see you.
No matter your issue, there are health professionals who want to help you. Hopefully, this guide has helped you figure out which ones will be useful for your unique situation.
About Our Practice
At Los Gatos Dental Group, we work hard to ensure that every aspect of our dental practice is as good as it can be. In recognition of those efforts, we were awarded the Spectrum Award for Customer Service for two years in a row and the Best of Lost Gatos Awards for Dentistry for six! If you want to see what award-winning dentistry looks like, we’d be happy to show you.
If you have any questions about how best to handle a dental emergency, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (408) 402-0900.