What To Do for a Holiday Dental Emergency

No one wants to deal with a sudden dental emergency over the holidays. However, accidents happen when we least expect them. Whether you accidentally bit into a turkey bone on thanksgiving, or your child had a mishap with their newly gifted BB gun, you may find yourself in need of immediate dental care.

If your family dentist closes their office during the holiday season, you may not be sure where to go if you’re dealing with tooth pain, a chipped tooth, or other dental problems. You may wonder if it’s best to go to the emergency room or just wait it out until Monday. At South Anchorage Dental Center, we can take care of your dental emergencies at any time or day — even on holidays.  

Dealing with a dental emergency?  Call us now for immediate help.

When to Call for Holiday Emergency Dental Service

Knowing when you have a dental emergency can be difficult. So, when should you seek emergency dental care? If you have any of the following symptoms, you need to have an Anchorage dentist check on it right away.

You have severe tooth pain that won’t go away.

Dental pain that is extremely severe usually indicates that your tooth needs attention as soon as possible. Yet, judging the pain level can be mystifying. How painful is severe pain? Use the following checklist to assess it.

• The pain is so severe that it interferes with your daily routine.
• The pain lasts more than two days.
• Over-the-counter medications provide no relief at all.
• You feel more pain when you bite down or touch the tooth.
• The pain starts out mild but rapidly becomes more severe.

Your teeth are loose

Go to your dentist now if your tooth or teeth are loose — especially if it’s right after you slipped on ice or bit into something hard. As children lose their primary teeth, those teeth become loose before they fall out. Adults are different. As an adult, you should never have loose teeth.

You have tooth pain and fever

When you have pain in your teeth, a fever can indicate a dangerous situation. You could have a dental abscess. Abscesses can spread the infection to other tissues and cause bone infections. Or, the initial infection could progress to Ludwig’s angina, a bacterial infection that sometimes follows an abscess. If that happens, your neck and tongue might swell, potentially causing you to suffocate and even die.

You are bleeding from the mouth

Bleeding from the mouth often means you either have suffered an injury, or you have other dental issues you may not know about. It’s possible a tooth has shifted or become partially dislodged and needs immediate attention to prevent losing it.

You have a cracked, broken, or lost tooth

Trauma to your tooth requires fast action in many cases. If you have severe pain or sharp fragments in your mouth after a tooth is cracked, go to your dentist no matter what day or time. Broken teeth need immediate repair, and lost teeth can potentially be reinserted.

Your jaw is swollen

A swollen jaw can be a life-threatening emergency.  You might have a tooth infection that is spreading to other parts of your body. If it reaches your brain, you could be in grave danger. You could have a tooth abscess, a bacterial or viral infection, or Ludwig’s angina. There is no time to waste. You must get help to find out the cause and get the treatment you need.

You have a horrible taste in your mouth

A bad taste in your mouth doesn’t always mean you have a dental problem. After all, it could just mean you ate something with a strong flavor. However, a weird taste along with tooth pain could be a dental issue. It might indicate an infected or severely decayed tooth. It tastes terrible because the infection is releasing toxins into your mouth.

Where to Go for a Dental Emergency During the Holidays

When dental emergencies happen, hurry to your local emergency dental clinic. For example, an Alaska dentist who offers emergency service is the best choice if you live in Anchorage. At South Anchorage Dental Center, we accept walk-in patients and provide emergency 24/7. When you arrive, you will receive fast, top-notch service in a friendly, family-oriented environment. We also offer a dental savings plan that can save you up to 20% on certain dental services. If you’re worried about your teeth, don’t hesitate to seek help! You could be saving your tooth, your life, your budget, your time, and your health.

Experiencing severe tooth pain? Come in for emergency service right away!