Emergency Dentistry

Some dental problems need same-day care and some can wait for your next checkup. How much it hurts is a poor guide on its own, because a serious infection can sit almost quietly while something minor hurts violently. Swelling is the symptom to move fastest on, particularly swelling that is spreading rather than staying put. Say the word swelling when you call.

A toothache that disappears on its own belongs on the urgent list too. When pain stops suddenly, it can mean the nerve inside the tooth has died rather than that the problem healed. The infection keeps spreading while the tooth stays quiet, and it can eventually form an abscess. A painful tooth that goes silent is still worth getting checked.

Mild sensitivity or a small chip with no pain usually waits for a regular appointment. Mention it then, because a chip that doesn't hurt today is the easiest version of that problem to fix. If you can't place your own symptom on either side of the line, call and describe it. That call costs you nothing, and you don't need to be an existing patient to make it.

The right first steps can protect the tooth and keep you more comfortable until you're seen. This is general guidance rather than a substitute for an exam, so call as soon as the problem starts and follow what we tell you on the phone. We can ask about your symptoms and your history, which a list on a page can't do.

It helps to have a few details ready. What happened, and when it started. Where it is, and whether you can point to one tooth. Whether there's swelling, and whether it's getting bigger. Whether anything is loose, broken off, or missing. Mention any injury. Tell us your medical conditions and the medications you take.

For a knocked-out permanent tooth, timing affects the outcome. Call while you're doing the steps below, or have someone else call for you.

If a crown has come off, keep it and bring it with you. Sometimes a crown can be recemented and sometimes it can't, and that's only something we can judge once we've seen it. The tooth underneath is often sensitive to air and pressure even when it isn't painful yet, so it's still worth the call.

Some symptoms are medical emergencies, not just dental ones. Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 if you have swelling that is spreading toward your eye or neck, trouble breathing or swallowing, a fever along with facial swelling, a serious injury to your head or face, or bleeding you can't control. Once you're stable, call us so we can take care of the tooth itself.

That isn't a referral we make reluctantly. A dental office is the wrong room for an airway problem, or for an infection moving through the tissues of your face and neck. A hospital is staffed and equipped for that around the clock. Going there first is faster than being seen here and then sent on.

The same applies when we're closed. Our hours are Monday to Wednesday 8 AM to 5 PM and Thursday 8 AM to 4 PM. If your symptoms are severe outside those hours, go to the emergency room rather than waiting for us to open. For anything less urgent, follow the guidance above and call us as soon as we open.

Once a hospital has you stable, the tooth that started it still needs treating. An emergency room can deal with the swelling and get you through the night. The tooth itself is dental work. Call us with what you were told and what you were given, and we'll pick it up from there.

The visit starts with pain relief. Then a focused exam and the imaging we need, including 3D imaging when it helps, so we know what we're dealing with rather than guessing at it.

You're numbed with effective anesthesia before any treatment begins. That isn't the same as feeling nothing. You notice pressure and vibration, and a badly inflamed tooth can be harder to numb, so it sometimes needs extra anesthetic. Tell us if anything feels sharp. We'd rather stop and add more.

What comes next depends on what we find. A filling. A root canal to save the tooth. A crown. An extraction, if the tooth can't be saved. Sometimes the right move that day is getting you comfortable and stable, with the rest planned for a second visit. You get a clear explanation and a written cost estimate before we proceed, and the plan for what follows if more than one appointment is needed.

Avora Dental is on State Road 436 in Altamonte Springs and regularly sees emergency patients from Longwood, Winter Park, Maitland, and Casselberry. Call (407) 774-4433 as soon as the problem starts.