Every day patients are seen for dental emergencies. For a dentist, this is a necessary service and a rewarding experience, to handle someone’s dental emergency and have them leave with a smile and feeling better. Dental emergencies, whenever possible, should be seen the same day to immediately address the problem.
One of a dentist’s primary goals is to help educate patients on the hazards of waiting too long to be seen or ignoring an impending dental problem until extreme pain or severe infection is present. These cases can lead anywhere from tooth loss to hospitalization, and in rare instances, death. In these situations often either root canal therapy or a dental extraction are the only options. What started out as a "twinge" several months ago and could have been restored very simply and affordably with a tooth colored filling or crown now has become a full-blown dental emergency. It is not only more uncomfortable and costly for the patient, but also creates limitations for what we, as dentists, are able to do to restore or save the tooth. In many cases, patients end up in the emergency room due to pain and infection only to be referred to a dentist to have the necessary care they have been avoiding. I often joke with patients (after they are feeling better) that I wish I owned stock in the Orajel company as people resort to these over-the-counter remedies for far too long before seeking professional care.
Avoidance is part of human nature, especially if one has had a previously negative experience. The message I continue to share is that if patients receive preventive care, most emergencies can be avoided all together. In fact, when patients who do not have dental insurance inquire on the best type to purchase, I reiterate my belief that preventive care is the best insurance. In most cases, this allows patients to avoid larger problems all together. This is not only a cost savings for the individual, but can also prevent the type of traumatic situations that lead to more costly elective dental treatment. It’s a vicious cycle, which leads to a poor dental future and the potential for future pain and infection.
If a person is not a regular dental patient but experiences bleeding gums, pain to hot or cold, spontaneous pain, pain on biting, a broken tooth or filling or swelling of the mouth or gums, immediate dental care is needed. Even if the symptoms are managed with over the counter pain medication or are intermittent, these are early warning signs that bigger problems are coming. We, as a team of dental professionals, welcome those who need our services even if they are not regular patients or have never been seen in our office before. We are there to help and do so in a non-judgmental and caring manner. Find a dentist that will try to make every visit as comfortable and pleasant as is possible with the multitude of advancements modern dentistry offers. As dental professionals, we want to make sure your visits are pleasant, comfortable and something that is looked forward to rather than avoided.
Eric Seidel, D.M.D. is a general dentist at Drs. Null, Seidel and Dental Associates and an Invisalign preferred provider.
Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193
Website: seideldental.com/
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