Reason #1 – Emergencies Outside of Office Hours
Like dentists open evenings in Sherwood Park, dentists open weekends in Sherwood Park can be hard to come by. True, many Sherwood Park dentists are open late at least one time per week, and they may even book Saturdays – but when you are looking for a dentist in an emergency situation on a Sunday evening, your Sherwood Park dentist is likely unavailable. So, having an emergency dentist in Sherwood Park is important, though you hope never to require this service.
Reason #2 – ISO A Dentist Near Me
Your preferred search term turns from ‘best dentist near me’ to ‘dentist near me’ quickly in an emergency dental situation – and that’s okay. Your emergency dentist is a general dentist who can perform wisdom teeth removal, root canals and even dental checkups. If you have an emergency situation, you can trust the treatment that you’ll get from an emergency dentist, even if he or she isn’t your regular dentist. In an emergency situation, you aren’t seeking out the best dental clinic in terms of their staff and bedside manner – you want a qualified dentist who is near you to treat your pain. In the event of a knocked-out tooth, you will need to see a dentist within 30 minutes of the incident to increase the likelihood of being able to retain the natural tooth. If you are away from home, your search terms should always include ‘near me’ and your phone’s location tracking must be turned on.
Reason #3 – Infections Don’t Wait
When we think of dental emergencies in Canada, many of us think of the many hockey players sporting a toothless grin after a close interaction with a puck. The truth is, many emergencies are the result of accidents – but just as many are due to the intense pain associated with a dental infection.
Infections can occur for several reasons, including erupting seemingly without cause. Some patients have dental cavities that have progressed to the point that the disease has entered the inside of the tooth and infected the nerve and tissues found there. Whatever the cause, pain that is uncontrollable with over-the-counter medications is reason enough to see an emergency dentist.
If a dental infection gets bad enough, it can kill the tooth’s nerve. While this brings relief to the patient, the reality is that the infection will then progress without the pain of urgency to have it attended to. Infections in the mouth are dangerous and have to be treated in a timely manner to prevent loss of teeth, damage to neighboring teeth, or an infection that spreads into other areas of the face and neck. Since teeth have blood supply, dangerous pathogens can enter the bloodstream and be carried to other locations. If you suspect that you have a dental infection, don’t wait until you think you’ve found your best dentist in Sherwood Park to have it addressed. Any dental clinic in Sherwood Park can address your infection, provided that you can get an emergency appointment.
How to Avoid Dental Emergencies
Once you know where to find the emergency services in your area, you can set that information aside and turn your focus to prevention. Yes – there will always be freak accidents that are unpreventable – but there is much you can do to decrease the chances of an emergency dental situation. If you play sports, for example, see your dentist for a custom mouth guard to ensure that your teeth are protected from impact. If you don’t have a custom guard, wear a customizable version from the drugstore until you can see your dentist for a more durable product.
If you are trying to prevent the risk of dental infections, the name of the game is: preventative maintenance. That means ensuring that you brush and floss your teeth daily. At the beginning and end of each day is recommended, but teeth that are brushed after meals see less plaque and tartar buildup and fewer incidents of cavities.
See your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings. We typically recommend this every 6 months, but your dentist may recommend that you come more frequently if you have any concerns being monitored. Every year your dentist will take a digital X-ray of the structures of your mouth in order to get an understanding of the health of your tissues that we can’t see directly. X-rays can detect bone erosion, dentigerous cysts and other conditions that should be managed before evidence of their impact becomes apparent.
If you avoid the dentist due to anxiety, talk to your dentist about what can be offered to help you to feel more comfortable. Regular cleanings significantly reduce the need for restorative procedures like dental fillings.