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What Is an Endodontic Emergency?
An endodontic emergency is a situation where the tooth pulp, the tooth roots, or the tissues surrounding the tooth are painful, infected, or inflamed. Often, these emergencies involve severe infection and toothache or are caused by trauma.
Sometimes, an endodontic emergency is caused by untreated tooth decay, where bacteria have infected the tooth pulp. At other times, it can be due to failed dental work. For example, root canal therapy is an extremely successful treatment; however, a tooth can sometimes become reinfected years later.
Immediate emergency dental care can help relieve pain, prevent the spread of infection, and save natural teeth from extraction.
We encourage any patient experiencing tooth pain to contact us urgently to arrange an emergency appointment.
Common Endodontic Emergencies
Common endodontic emergencies include:
- Severe, continual toothache.
- Severely cracked or fractured tooth, and where the tooth pulp is exposed.
- Dislodged or knocked out tooth.
- Tooth pain after a root canal, which can occur years later.
- Dental abscess, where a pimple can form on the gum nearest the tooth and is caused by pus buildup.
- Sensitivity to temperature changes in foods and beverages.
- Tooth discoloration.
Symptoms Requiring Immediate Attention
A severe toothache can be impossible to ignore, and it is a sign that something is wrong with the tooth. Other symptoms indicating immediate care is needed include:
- Fever.
- Facial swelling.
- Feeling very unwell.
In this situation, you may need to see an endodontist for a same-day appointment. It’s extremely important not to ignore the signs because they can indicate a severe dental abscess where the infection has spread. Without treatment, the abscess can affect the jawbone and even enter your bloodstream, putting your overall health at risk.
When you visit NYC Dentistry Center for emergency endodontic care, we can soon diagnose the problem and provide immediate treatment to relieve pain and discomfort.
Emergency Endodontic Treatments
The type of endodontic care we recommend will depend on the issue. Some of the most common endodontic treatments include:
- Emergency root canal in NYC to remove infection and relieve pain.
- Dental abscess drainage, where we insert a small drain into the gum to relieve pus buildup, reducing swelling and infection.
- Splinting loose or dislodged teeth to help stabilize the.
- Replanting knocked-out teeth, but this can only be done soon after the accident, so you must seek emergency endodontic care immediately.
- Retreating a failed root canal, a procedure called an apicoectomy.
- Partial root canal or emergency pulpotomy when treating a child’s tooth, and where we need to try to save the dental pulp while the tooth is still developing.
What to Do If You Have an Endodontic Emergency
The first step is to contact us so we can arrange for you to see a dentist urgently and provide immediate advice over the phone.
Other steps to take include:
- Take over-the-counter pain relief following the directions on the packaging.
- Keep a knocked-out tooth moist in a little milk, saline solution, or try to reinsert it carefully. You must see a dentist within 30 to 60 minutes after the accident.
- Use a cold compress to reduce any facial swelling, but go to your nearest ER if you have a fever to get immediate help in controlling the infection.
- Save any pieces of a broken tooth and rinse your mouth with warm water.
Why Emergency Endodontics Is Important
The sooner you see a dentist, the more quickly we can help prevent the spread of the infection to the surrounding bone and to your bloodstream. Prompt emergency dental care increases the chances of saving natural teeth and can help reduce the risk of needing more costly treatments later.
Above all, you can be assured of receiving gentle, prompt treatment to relieve your pain quickly. Once we have treated the tooth, we can discuss a suitable plan to restore it permanently.
NYC Dentistry Center6 E 45th Street, 8th Floor, Suite 2
New York, NY 10017
(212) 810-9264