It seems like dental emergencies in Lansing, IL happen at the most inconvenient times. Often patients report mild symptoms for a few days before these symptoms dramatically worsened and began causing pain.
It is important to note that dental pain rarely resolves on its own. Pain is the body’s way of letting us know that something is wrong. Calling us right away, at the first sign of a change in oral health, allows your Lansing, IL dentist to provide fast and effective treatment. We understand how disruptive dental emergencies can be and strive to provide prompt care, pain relief, and treatment recommendations to help you get back to your life as quickly as possible.
No matter what kind of dental emergency you’re experiencing, from severe tooth decay to a lost filling or excruciating dental pain, our emergency Lansing dentists treat each patient with compassion and care throughout their painful experiences.
Our dentists are gentle, compassionate, and explain all the available treatment options so that our patients can make an educated choice when it comes to their smiles. If you’re not an existing patient, we encourage you to give us a call if you’re experiencing pain or an oral complication.
We can never predict when an emergency happens, but we can be there for you when it does.
What Dental Emergencies Are
If you are unsure about whether or not your situation is an actual dental emergency, please call us immediately so we can provide advice or ask you to come in. It never hurts to get a professional opinion, and once we can diagnose your issue, we can begin to treat it.
Dental emergencies are usually a result of an untreated dental problem, which is why our general dentists always promote and teach preventive oral health care. Many dental emergencies start with a mild throbbing toothache that can double in pain very quickly.
Our dentists at Smiles For Miles work efficiently to identify and diagnose dental emergencies so we can recommend appropriate treatment options to help protect your oral health and address discomfort. If you have hurt your tooth during a sports game or an accident, you might need to see us immediately to ensure that your tooth is not broken.
If your tooth has been knocked out of its socket, prompt evaluation is important to reduce the risk of complications and improve the chances of successful treatment. Treating your knocked-out tooth as soon as possible is the best way to save it. In the case that you knocked your tooth out, you can either try to reinsert it gently and hold it in place with your tongue or keep it in your mouth between your gum and cheek. Your tooth mustn’t dry out or pick up a lot of dirt and debris.
In cases where you have lost dental crown or filling, our dentists at Smiles For Miles are here to ease your pain and protect your oral health; you may be able to wait to see us until the next available dental appointment.
We are here to see you if you decide this is an emergency. If you’re unsure about what constitutes a dental emergency, you can always give our friendly dental team a call so we can determine how quickly our dentist should see you.
Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies vary widely and are completely different for one another, but most of them involve pain or discomfort. If you ever feel persistent and constant tooth pain, you need to give us a call or come in right away.
Some of the most common dental emergencies we treat in our Lansing, IL dental office include:
- Infection
- Broken or lost teeth
- Cracked teeth
- Pain
- Sensitivity
- Swelling
- Injury or trauma
- Lost or damaged fillings, crowns, or bridges
- Denture sores
- Infections
- Damaged dentures
Contacting us at the first sign of trouble allows us to evaluate your situation and schedule an appointment as soon as availability permits.
For patients who experienced an auto accident or who are experiencing excessive bleeding, a trip to the emergency room is in order. Ruling out any severe head or neck injuries first is essential. Call us right away so that our experienced dental team can listen to your concerns, understand your situation, and recommend the most appropriate next step. Depending on the nature of the emergency and appointment availability, we may be able to schedule you the same day or as soon as possible.
During Your Emergency Dental Appointment
Our helpful team will ask a series of questions to better prepare for the emergency visit:
- Where is the problem?
- When did it start?
- Was an accident involved?
- Has this occurred before?
Upon arrival, we will likely begin with a periapical x-ray of one or more teeth. This provides your emergency dentist in Lansing, IL with a view of the entire tooth from crown to root tip. If a crack or infection exists, we can often detect it with an x-ray. In some cases, additional testing will provide the information we need for an accurate diagnosis.
Our primary concern at your emergency dental appointment in Lansing is to evaluate the problem, help manage discomfort, and stabilize the affected tooth or area whenever possible. We may be able to provide same-day treatment, or we can schedule you for the next available appointment to complete treatment.
Services To Handle Your Dental Emergencies
While every patient has a unique and individualized treatment plan, we commonly provide the following services to save a tooth, restore teeth and dental prosthetics, and relieve pain.
- Repair and restore dental crowns
- Tooth-colored fillings
- Denture and bridge repair
- Tooth extraction
- Root canal therapy to save a tooth
Avoiding Dental Emergencies
You never have to fear being judged or scolded at our Lansing dental office. Our preferred method of reaching and helping our patients is through education and an understanding of their oral health.
While there are some dental emergencies you can never avoid, for example, a car accident or an illness, there are some habits you can practice to ensure that your smile is always healthy and strong as well as beautiful. Being an active participant in your oral health through regular and consistent brushing and flossing keeps your teeth white and your gums healthy. At your dental cleanings, our general dentists will check your oral structure for any sign of a potential dental problem.
We screen for oral cancer and health problems that link to tooth decay or infection. If you have dental prosthetics like a dental implant, crown, or bridge, our dentists will check to make sure nothing fits loosely and that nothing looks worn down.
Convenient Emergency Dental Appointments In Lansing, IL
Because dental emergencies often require prompt attention, we offer convenient evening and weekend hours to help accommodate our patients. Even if you are not currently a patient in our dental office, we will do our best to evaluate your situation and schedule you as soon as possible.
We also offer expanded services such as root canal therapy and dental extractions when appropriate, which may help reduce the need for a referral to a specialist.
Are You Experiencing Tooth Pain?
Contact Smiles For Miles right away if you are experiencing a dental emergency. Our team will help determine the appropriate next steps and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
