We’ve all read it before when we’re visiting our dentist for a routine checkup. “Closed on weekends and holidays, except for the case of a dental emergency.” You may ask yourself what exact constitutes as a dental emergency. That’s where we come in to help.
A “dental emergency” simply means something that can’t wait until your dentist’s office opens. A dental emergency may constitute you breaking or knocking out a tooth on accident. It can also mean having a large, trouble infection in your tooth or gums.
If you have a broken or chipped tooth, we recommend putting that tooth into a glass of milk until you can get in to see your dentist. Staunch any bleeding. Call your emergency dentist and explain to him or her the situation. The person on the other end will be able to tell you what to do in the meantime and how soon you can see a dentist.
Infections in the gum or tooth may not need a dentist right away. If there is a general clinic near you that is open, you can go in and get some antibiotics to hold you over until you can see a dentist to treat the source of your condition. Antibiotics will not make your infection go away forever, but it can lessen the symptoms and buy you some time.
If you can’t make it to an open clinic try swishing a small dose of hydrogen peroxide around your mouth. It doesn’t work as well as antibiotics, but you can still lessen some of your symptoms for a few hours at a time.
Crowns falling out do not necessarily constitute a dental emergency. Neither do bridges. However, should you ever really wonder what your personal dentist thinks of as an emergency, never be afraid to ask by calling the dentist at https://www.dentalemergencyalbuquerque.com.