Do you need Urgent Dental Care?

A toothache is a real force to be reckoned with!  Anyone who has had one can tell you it is some of the worst pain imaginable.  Some women even compare the pain to that experienced during childbirth!  Toothaches can be caused by a myriad of things; some examples are: large cavities, abscesses, tooth fractures, damaged fillings, infected gums, or grinding.

When the pain comes on strong, the symptoms can wake you out of a dead sleep!  Some patients complain of: sharp throbbing, constant dull aches, swelling, head and earaches, and even severe jaw pain. 

When suffering from a toothache, you need urgent dental care fast, and our office takes pride in seeing same day emergency patients.  We strive to take time in even our busiest schedules to get a patient in pain, out of pain as quickly as possible!! 

Every patient is different, and there are different causes and cures for a toothache.  When we have a patient requiring urgent dental care we start with an exam with one of our dentists and x-rays.  First, we want to see what is causing the pain.  Then, we can make a treatment plan with the patient focused on the best way to restore the tooth, and eliminate the pain.  In some cases the nerve of the tooth is dying and a root canal may be needed. 

Once a tooth is diagnosed with needing a root canal, a common question asked is, “Why can’t we just pull the tooth?”  While having the tooth removed will help clear up infection and pain, it will start to cause more problems down the road.  When a tooth is removed, we lose bone supporting the adjacent teeth.  The teeth start drifting toward each other to fill spaces, leading to malocclusion problems, and super eruption of opposing teeth.  If a tooth must be removed, it is always advised to replace the missing tooth in one of the following ways:  Dental Implants are the best treatment to fill a gap caused by a missing tooth because they look, function, and feel like a natural tooth.  Another option is to place a non-removable bridge.  A bridgeis made up of two or more crowns “bridging” the gap with a false tooth.  Spaces can also be filled using a removable partial denture.  A removable partial denture is an appliance that consists of replacement teeth attached to a gum-colored plastic base.  No matter what treatment you need during urgent dental care, there is no adequate replacement for a natural tooth. Saving the tooth with a root canal and crown is the best treatment whenever possible.

When some people are in need of urgent dental care they may search for home remedies, instead of visiting the dentist.  People do this because they are either afraid to visit dentist, they fear treatment will be too expensive, or they truly believe in taking a homeopathic route to ease their pain.  Some remedies include placing clove oil in the affected area, biting on a peppermint tea bag, using salt water rinses, or dissolving an aspirin near the painful area. 

While some of these remedies may temporarily numb the area, none are going to treat the problem causing the pain, and aspirin will actually burn your gum tissue causing more problems and more pain! 

The best toothache remedy is seeing your dentist.  The longer you go without treatment, the more serious your toothache can become.  Ibuprofen is the best medicine for tooth pain because of its anti-inflammatory properties.  Even if a pain reliever alleviates your symptoms, you should still visit your dentist.  Pain can sometimes indicate the presence of an infection.  Although you may not be excited to make an urgent dental care appointment, the relief you will feel when you are out of pain is PRICELESS!

If anxiety is keeping you from making your urgent dental care appointment, you can rest at ease.  Dr. Thomas L. Anderson and Associates take great pride in offering the best experiences for patients who are in pain or are suffering from dental anxiety.  We also offer complimentary nitrous oxide (nicknamed laughing gas).  We use a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen so it is safe to use, and within 2-5 minutes its pain killing and relaxing effects wash over you.  It relieves pain, anxiety, and even relieves your gag reflex if you are one who has trouble with that sensation at the dentist office.  It can be adjusted as needed during your procedure and leaves your body within 3-5 minutes, so you can go home clear headed, and out of pain. 

If you are a patient in need of urgent dental care, call one of our three dental offices and we will get your appointment scheduled, so you’ll be feeling better ASAP!  We are located on the Country Club Plaza, downtown Kansas City, and in Independence Mo.