Dental pain can make it difficult to go throughout your day. Whether this pain comes and goes or persists throughout the day, you may need to consider seeking endodontic treatment. This treatment is a great way to protect your teeth from infection and save you from tooth loss. However, in some cases, waiting weeks to go into your endodontist’s office isn’t an option.
Seeking emergency endodontic treatment may be the best way to prevent extreme discomfort and potential infection spread. If you believe you may need emergency endodontic treatment, keep reading to learn what signs to look for and how to treat your discomfort while you wait for your upcoming appointment.
Signs You Need Emergency Endodontic Treatment
There are a few clear signs you may need to seek emergency endodontic treatment. Some of the most common signs include:
Extreme Pain
Tooth pain isn’t normal. From day to day, you shouldn’t experience pain when eating, drinking, or speaking. However, as infection in your tooth’s root spreads, you may experience extreme discomfort. If you are experiencing pain that doesn’t go away, even after taking an over-the-counter pain medication, this may be a sign that you need to speak to an endodontist about emergency endodontic treatment.
Dental Trauma
Dental trauma may occur in a few ways, including physical altercations, sports accidents, trip-and-fall incidents, and using your teeth as tools. While you might not think this trauma will require treatment, failing to schedule appropriate treatment can result in tooth loss. Ultimately, if you experience extreme trauma to the tooth, it is best to reach out to your endodontist about scheduling emergency endodontic treatment.
Pus Around the Tooth
If you notice signs of pus around your tooth, this can be a major sign of something wrong. The presence of pus indicates an infection in your tooth and the surrounding tissue. When these signs present themselves, it is essential that you schedule emergency endodontic treatment as soon as possible. Failing to address this pus formation and signs of severe infection can lead to tooth loss, spread of illness, and, in more extreme cases, sepsis.
Temperature Sensitivity
While you may experience some sensitivity when eating or drinking something hot or cold, this sensitivity should go away quickly. However, if you are experiencing temperature sensitivity in one tooth that doesn’t go away or causes extreme discomfort, this indicates a major problem. If this is occurring, it is best to reach out to an endodontist about scheduling emergency endodontic treatment to begin remedying this problem.
Discoloration
While your teeth won’t be identical in color across your mouth, they should look similar to one another. However, if your tooth is changing color, especially if this color change is occurring quickly, this can indicate nerve damage. If this happens, it is best to reach out to an endodontist about scheduling emergency endodontic treatment. They may need to plan a root canal to help you protect the tooth from additional damage and color change.
How to Treat Pain Until Your Treatment
If you are waiting for your emergency endodontic treatment, you may struggle to address the discomfort you’re experiencing. However, while this pain can be disruptive, there are a few things you can do to address it and allow yourself to continue with everyday activities. If you are waiting for your emergency endodontic treatment, consider trying each of the following to treat your pain:
- Take over-the-counter or prescription pain medications.
- Apply a cold compress to your cheek to calm inflammation.
- Avoid consuming extremely hot or cold foods or beverages.
- Keep your head elevated to decrease pressure.
- Rinse with salt water a few times throughout the day.
If you are struggling to reduce your discomfort, even with these pain relief methods, it is best to reach out to your endodontic team for support. They may consider bringing you in for treatment earlier to help you protect your oral health.
Do You Need a Root Canal or Tooth Extraction?
While emergency endodontic care may be your best option, this treatment may take several different directions. In some cases, your endodontic team may recommend a root canal. Root canals are the most common endodontic treatment and are often sufficient enough to address any infection within your tooth.
However, depending on the severity of the infection or trauma, it may be in your best interest to get a tooth extraction instead. While this can be incredibly distressing, it is important to remember that your endodontic team won’t recommend this treatment unless it is absolutely necessary or best for your oral health.
Ultimately, your endodontic team is dedicated to helping you protect your smile. They won’t extract a tooth if it isn’t the best course of action for your health. When they make this recommendation, you can trust that this is the best next step toward achieving improved oral health and smile integrity.
Reliable Emergency Endodontic Treatment in Northern Utah
If you are looking for a reliable endodontic team in the Northern Utah area to help you through your emergency endodontic treatment, turn to our team at David G. Johnson, DDS. For over 30 years, we’ve provided the most dependable endodontic therapy to patients across the Wasatch Front. From root canals to root resorption, trauma treatment, and more, our team is equipped to handle it all.
When you are ready to schedule your emergency endodontic treatment, contact our team at our Layton or Centerville office for support.
