As a responsible individual it is important that you know what type of dental issues require emergency care and which don’t. It is extremely important that your teeth are well taken care of but just as important is for you to know when you can avoid a trip to an emergency dentist in Chicago. Accidents don’t wear watches, they can happen at any time, the results of some accidents require immediate attention while others can easily wait until the following day when you can see your dentist during normal office ours.
Common injuries to teeth:
It is not hard to damage teeth, biting down on a piece of food, a fall or a sports related injury can result in a cracked, broken or dislodged tooth. Depending on the injury and its location it might be something that can wait; this is especially true if it is little more than a minor chip or fracture.
However, if the damage is any more than minor, perhaps the tooth has been knocked out or it has broken off and there is damage to the nerve, immediate dental care is warranted.
It is not always an injury that requires emergency attention:
It is easy to understand the need for emergency attention if the tooth has been knocked out or severely damaged; there is also the issue of pain. A tooth abscess is extremely painful and certainly warrants a call to your dentist. In many dental practices there is a patient slot left open during the day that allows the dentist to treat emergencies.
Even if you know the office is not open, go ahead and call the emergency dentist in Chicago anyway. Even dentists that don’t accept emergencies after hours know they happen and make arrangements with other dentists to handle them; this information will be left on the answering machine. If all else fails, go to a hospital emergency room, they may not be able to provide treatment but they can help to alleviate the pain.
An emergency dentist in Chicago is always available, either from your dentist or from an associate. If you have a dental emergency, contact Dental Specialists of South Loop & North Shore.
