Emergency Dentistry

At Monterey Dental Center, we are pleased to offer same day appointments and expert dental assistance when you are experienceing a dental emergency. Our experienced staff understands the nature of urgent dental emergencies and can deliver the care and compassion required to deal with any urgent scenario in Calgary.

In our practice, we consider any situation in which you are experiencing pain or discomfort as a dental emergency and should be treated as such. Pain from a sudden or a lingering toothache, a fractured or knocked-out tooth, or an accident that involves the teeth and/or jaw should be treated by your dentist immediately.

We reserve time in our daily schedule for dental emergencies and will accommodate both existing patients and those that are unable to see their regular dentist promptly. We will provide you with assistance over the phone and advise you on how to remain as comfortable as possible until you can be seen by one of our dentists.

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How do I know if I need emergency dental care?

Deciding whether or not a situation should be treated as a dental emergency isn’t always as easy as you might think. While some urgent care scenarios are obvious – such as a knocked-out tooth or prolonged bleeding, others may not cause any pain or worrying symptoms initially, but a short while later lead to pain and difficulties. The following is a list of some of the types of common dental emergencies that we most often see and treat as emergency cases.

• Have you had a tooth knocked out?

• You have a chipped, cracked or broken tooth?

• You have a loose tooth, dental crown, filling or bridge?

• You recently had dental work done and are now experiencing pain or discomfort?

• You recently discovered your dental appliance is broken or sharp?

• Are you suffering a toothache or have a negative response to stimuli (cool or warm water) ?

• Are your gums (soft tissue) sore or bleeding?

• Extreme dental pain that regular painkillers aren’t helping to alleviate

While this list represents some of the most common issues that we deal with as dental emergencies, it is important to note that not every eventuality can be covered within it. If you experience a problem that you think may warrant an emergency dental appointment, you should still contact our office so that we may triage your issue over the phone and make a recommendation. If you don’t need emergency dental treatment, we can still arrange for you to be seen by our experienced team during a routine appointment.

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Emergency dental services refer to the immediate care and treatment provided by dental professionals for severe or life-threatening dental issues that need urgent attention.

If you experience any of the symptoms above or any other unusual dental pain, it's time to seek emergency dental care right away. Delaying treatment could cause further harm, infection, or even permanent tooth loss.

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While waiting to see a dentist during a dental emergency, there are several steps you can take to reduce damage and ease pain:

• Severe Toothache: Rinse your mouth with warm salt water and take over-the-counter pain medication as directed.
• Broken or Chipped Tooth: Rinse with warm salt water to try to save any broken pieces of the tooth, then cover any sharp edges with dental wax or sugarless gum for protection.
• Knocked-out Tooth: Rinse the tooth with water and try to reinsert it into its socket. If this is not successful, store the tooth in milk or saliva until you can visit a dentist.
• Lost or loose filling or crown: Cover any exposed areas with dental wax or sugarless gum for temporary protection.
• Abscess or Infection: Rinse your mouth with warm salt water and apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek to reduce swelling and alleviate pain.

Always seek emergency dental care if you are ever uncertain. Delaying treatment could lead to further issues and more serious dental issues.

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What types of emergency treatment can be offered?

Precisely what treatment you will be offered will, of course, depend on exactly what type of dental emergency you have experienced. In many cases, several different treatments may be combined in order to provide temporary relief from the problem, until a regular appointment can be attended.

Some of the types of treatment that we routinely offer during emergency dental appointments include the following:

• Restorations including fillings and crowns.

• Antibiotics for the treatment of infections and to help prevent infections from developing after a trauma.

• Replacing a knocked-out tooth.

• Stemming blood flow and sealing any lacerations or other open wounds.

• Offering prescription pain relief.

• Emergency root canal therapy.

• Placement of a dental device such as dentures or a bridge.

PREVENTION TIPS

The best way to prevent dental emergencies from occurring is to ensure to regularly complete dental exams. This may be the most important preventative action you can take. During your exams our Dentists check for signs of weakened teeth, loosened or aging restorations and early signs of inflammation that would indicate the presence of infection and the possibility of periodontal disease.

Another important preventative action you can take to avoid dental emergencies is to wear a properly fitting mouth guard while playing contact sports. Research has shown that a large percentage of dental injuries are sports related. Wearing a properly fitting mouth guard can prevent many of these injuries.

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