A dental emergency often happens when you least expect it; maybe you’re playing your favorite sport and sustain an injury, or you wake up in the middle of the night with an excruciating toothache. When a dental concern threatens to ruin your weekend plans or keep you from going to work or school, you must know what to do and who to call.
Instead of hoping for the best, certain circumstances require immediate attention. So, what is a dental emergency, and when should you call us?
Recognizing Clinical Dental Emergencies in Augusta
We often hear patients say that they were unsure whether their situation was a dental emergency. We’ll happily answer your questions and schedule an appointment for a later date if you don’t need immediate care.
However, these are the signs you need to see a dentist immediately:
- Severe tooth pain — Intense, throbbing dental pain—especially pain that radiates to the jawline or ear and fails to respond to ibuprofen or acetaminophen—often indicates a periapical abscess or pulpitis requiring an emergency root canal.
- Swelling and fever — Localized facial edema (swelling) combined with pyrexia (fever) and lymphadenopathy suggests a bacterial infection. Without drainage and antibiotics, these infections can lead to cellulitis or sepsis.
- Knocked-out tooth — For a tooth that has been completely knocked out, time is critical. We need to see you in our office within a couple of hours, giving us the best chance of reinserting and saving your natural tooth.
- Bleeding gums — If you sustain a soft tissue injury and your gums are bleeding, or if you have painful bleeding gums not due to an injury, it’s best to contact our office. Our Augusta clinical team provides immediate chairside stabilization, localized anesthesia, and diagnostic digital X-rays to identify the root cause of your dental trauma or infection.
- Loose or shifting teeth — Your teeth shouldn’t wiggle or shift in your mouth, so if you have loose teeth, it could be due to gum disease or bone loss. Either way, you need to call our Augusta dental office.
Need an Emergency Dentist in Augusta, GA?
If so, look no further than the experienced emergency dentist in Augusta, GA at West Augusta Dental Associates! We understand how scary a dental emergency can be, and we’re here to help you relax and restore your smile.
When the unexpected happens, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll do whatever we can to offer prompt, gentle care to you or a loved one.
You can reach us by calling (706) 738-8070.
