Can emergency room help tooth pain? Can I go to the emergency room for a toothache? Well this is a question that most of us have had to contend with at one point in life. Does one have to wait for the dentist’s office to be open or can he or she get help from the nearest emergency room?
Toothaches can strike without warning and how painful are they when they hit! Their pain is intense and unbearable and the first thing that comes to mind is to get the pain sorted. This is where most people find themselves in a limbo, do they go to an emergency room or wait to go to their dentists? Well, to find out, we take a look at emergency rooms’ ability to handle tooth pains.
Can emergency rooms help tooth pain?
The answer to this question depends on the cause of the tooth pain. Before addressing emergency room’s ability to address tooth pains, it is therefore imperative to take a look at the most common causes of tooth pains.
Causes of tooth pains
Infections leading to cavities
Normally your teeth are protected with a thick layer of dental enamel which is one of the hardest substances in the human body. Your dental enamel is constantly under attack from the bacteria in your mouth that produce acid whenever you eat or drink something sugary or full of carbohydrates. Over time your enamel can become softer, allowing the bacteria to penetrate the interior part of the tooth.
The dentine layer lies directly underneath the tooth enamel and is much softer and more susceptible towards decay. Once the bacteria penetrate the tooth enamel and reach the dentine they will be able to eat away at this layer causing a cavity. The actual hole in your tooth might look quite small, but the cavity inside the tooth will gradually increase in size, and you might find that one day you bite down on that tooth and it simply crumbles away. Eventually the bacteria will penetrate to the pulp which contains all the nerves and blood vessels contained in teeth. The bacteria will feel on this pulp leaving a large cavity and exposing the nerves and blood vessels. This is why you feel the unbearable pain once your tooth is infected.
The other cause of tooth pains is the breaking or chipping away of the surface of the tooth. This can be as a result of an accident or weakening of the surface of the enamel protecting the tooth. When the chips away, it exposes the pulp cavity which has the vessels and nerves and this causes the searing pain which is experienced.
Sometimes the pain you are experiencing might not be as a result of an infection or an injury to the tooth, it could be due to sinusitis which is an infection of the sinus.
The other reason why you could be experiencing pain could be temporomandibular disorders. Conditions such as cancer, arthritis or even bruxism can result to temporomandibular disorders which can be experienced in form of tooth pains.
So, now that we have seen causes of tooth pains, can emergency rooms sort the pains? The answer is yes, emergency rooms are equipped to address simple nagging problems like toothaches.
In the event of a dental cavity, physicians in emergency rooms are able to administer painkillers and fill up the cavity. Emergency rooms can also address issues such as temporomandibular complications through minor surgeries.
It is advisable to report to the nearest emergency room if you are suffering from any form of tooth pain and accessing your dentist’s office is difficult. Contrary to popular opinion, you should not try and get over the counter medication to try and kill the pain-that will be just papering over the cracks and it can lead to serious complications.
Going to the emergency room will mean that you will get proper diagnosis and if there is a serious complication, you will be advised on the best course of action to take. If after diagnosis the emergency room deems that you require a certain dental procedure which is not on offer in the emergency room, they will refer you to the best dentist for the same or get in touch with your dentist about the same.
Let Bellaire Emergency take care of your tooth pains
Are you in Bellaire and are suffering from tooth pains? Well, do not hesitate to visit Bellaire emergency room for the best remedies and treatment of tooth pains. Our experienced medical practitioners are richly experienced in handling dental problems and will always offer the best treatment for your particular problem.
Give us a call today about tooth pains and any other medical emergency and we will gladly be of service to you.