Dental emergencies are typically inconvenient, alarming, and somewhat overwhelming. Whether you wake up with a horrible toothache or your child cracks a tooth while playing sports, it’s important that you see your dentist as soon as possible. But what happens then? Knowing how your dentist may handle your dental emergency can help relieve some of your stress on your way to their office. Here are six common treatments they may use to repair your smile.
1.) Cosmetic Dental Bonding
Composite resin is a pliable, tooth-colored material. If a tooth has a minor chip or crack, cosmetic dental bonding can use composite resin to fill in the damage and restore the tooth’s shape. Once hardened into place and polished, it should look like a completely natural part of your tooth.
2.) Tooth-Colored Fillings
Some toothaches and cases of intense tooth sensitivity are simply the result of tooth decay. Tooth-colored fillings use the same versatile, biocompatible composite resin as cosmetic dental bonding to replace decayed enamel and support the tooth.
3.) Porcelain Crown
Teeth suffering from extensive damage or decay can be saved from extraction with a porcelain crown. This beautiful cap is the same shape and color as the rest of your natural teeth. It can be placed over the weakened tooth to hold fractured parts together, improve its appearance and function, and protect it from future issues.
4.) Root Canal Therapy
In some cases, a serious toothache is the result of an infection in the inner layers of a tooth. Root canal therapy is designed to quickly relieve pain and prevent the spread of dangerous bacteria by removing the infected tissues and replacing them with a rubber, biocompatible material. This is the best way to remove the infection while preserving as much natural tooth structure as possible.
5.) Tooth Extraction & Replacement
If there are no viable options for saving a damaged or infected tooth, your dentist may have to extract it. Once the problematic tooth is removed, you’ll need to talk to your dentist about replacement options such as dental implants or bridges to prevent complications associated with tooth loss in the future.
6.) Non-Surgical Gum Disease Therapy
Puffy, bleeding gum tissue, sensitive teeth, and gun recession are all symptoms of the advanced stages of a serious condition called gum disease. While only the early stages can be completely reversed, gum disease therapy can manage the infection and prevent tooth loss and jawbone damage. Non-surgical gum disease treatments like antibiotic therpay or scaling and root planning are the most common methods.
Knowing how to handle a dental emergency and which treatments your dentist may use to treat it can help take some stress out of these scary situations. Remember, give your dentist a call right away if you think you may be experiencing a dental emergency!
About the Practice
At Sommers Family Dental, we do everything we can to help prevent dental emergencies in Aurora and the surrounding communities. However, we are fully prepared to provide the fast pain relief you need if you or a loved one needs urgent dental care. Alongside our comprehensive menu of services to treat a variety of issues, we offer same-day emergency appointments, Saturday availability, and sedation dentistry options to get you back to enjoying your healthy smile as soon as possible. If you are in pain or need help, don’t hesitate to contact us via our website or at (630) 892-7041.
