Emergency Treatment
At Western Kentucky Pediatric Dentistry, we understand that endodontic tooth pain can be extremely stressful and cause a lot of discomfort and anxiety. That’s why we are proud to offer emergency endodontic treatment for those situations that need to be fixed as soon as possible to alleviate pain and other uncomfortable symptoms. We’re here to help you in any endodontic emergency.
What Is An Endodontic Emergency?
An endodontic emergency is usually related to infections of the teeth or trauma to the tooth and/or mouth. For example, if your tooth gets injured and there is a large crack, there could be a strong possibility that the pulp of your tooth is exposed, which will need immediate attention from our team. Also, an outstanding dental issue, such as a cavity, could progress to an infection which would also require immediate treatment from Dr. Allison Higgins Mills.
Some signs of emergency endodontic infections could include swelling of the gums and mouth, a sore or broken tooth and severe pain or bleeding of the teeth or gums, usually caused by an oral trauma. If you notice any of these signs, we urge you to reach out to our team immediately so that we can quickly see you and provide emergency treatment to save your tooth or teeth!
What To Do In An Endodontic Emergency
There are a few things that you should do to ensure that you are having the highest chance of saving your tooth when experiencing an endodontic emergency. We encourage you to immediately do the following:
- Contact Western Kentucky Pediatric Dentistry as soon as possible
- Try to eliminate swelling and discomfort using over-the-counter medicine and ice packs
- Treat and stop bleeding if possible
- Visit Western Kentucky Pediatric Dentistry and see Dr. Allison Higgins Mills right away
Following these steps will help to relieve you of immediate pain & discomfort, help to reduce future complications and save you time and money. Our office is proud to offer same-day appointments for these specific emergency cases–our goal is to save your tooth and provide relief.
The Common Types of Endodontic Treatments
The two most common types of endodontic treatments are pulpotomies and pulpectomies. Either of these treatments may be used in an endodontic emergency.
Pulpotomies are also known as “baby root canals” and they involve the partial removal of the tooth’s nerve. This procedure is more of a quick fix to immediately treat tooth pain, and a full root canal procedure must be completed at a later visit. Dr. Allison Higgins Mills will medicate the tooth and temporarily seal it until a future root canal procedure will take place.
Pulpectomies are the process of removing the entire nerve tissue of the tooth–this is the first step of the root canal procedure. Like a pulpotomy, medication will be used and the tooth will be temporarily sealed until the full root canal procedure can be performed at a later appointment.
Questions?
Endodontic emergencies can be extremely stressful and painful. It is our goal to get you into our office as soon as possible so that we can help save your tooth and alleviate your pain and discomfort. We invite you to please reach out to our office if you have any additional questions related to endodontic emergencies: (270) 916-9393 .
