Local Expert Blog: What To Do If You Have A Dental Emergency On The Weekend?

Dental offices may operate on a set schedule, but dental emergencies don’t always happen at convenient times. What happens if you need care when your dentist’s office is closed? Today, we’ll take a closer look at what a dental emergency is and explore some ways to handle the situation during off-hours.

What Qualifies as a Dental Emergency?

Not all dental problems should be treated as dental emergencies. An emergency is an issue that must be treated right away for one of two reasons:

• It’s too painful to wait
• It’s time-sensitive

For example, the following problems would count as dental emergencies.

• An abscessed tooth
• A severe toothache
• A broken tooth with exposed pulp
• A knocked-out tooth
• A lost crown or filling

If you have orthodontics, a broken bracket or wire may also count as an emergency.

Issues like discoloured spots on your teeth or mild toothaches are signs of dental trouble, but they don’t need to be addressed immediately. Instead, you can make an appointment with your dentist during regular office hours.

What to Do During a Weekend Dental Emergency

So how do you handle a dental emergency that happens after most dental offices have closed for the weekend? It’s trickier than it would be during the week, but there are a few things you can do to get the care you need.

• Take steps to protect your teeth. Depending on the problem, there might be things you can do to minimize the damage without a dentist’s help. For instance, you can gargle salt water to help fight a mild infection or place a wad of sugar-free gum in the empty space left behind after a crown or filling falls out.
• Take some over-the-counter painkillers. Painkilling medications like Advil and Tylenol can help you keep the pain under control while you wait for your appointment.
• Head to the ER. If you think you might have a severe dental infection, visit your local hospital’s emergency room for triage. Left untreated, an infection like this can kill you within hours. The ER will make sure you get care right away, even if you arrive in the middle of the night.
• Call Ouellette Dentistry. While we’re not usually open on weekends, we make exceptions for dental emergencies. Give us a call and we’ll figure out how to get you the treatment you need as soon as possible.

We’re Always Here When You Need Us

Dental emergencies happen to even the most careful among us. Windsor’s Ouellette Family Dentistry is here to help you bounce back from infections, injuries, and other dental crises with your oral health intact. Contact us today to request an emergency appointment (if you need one!) or sign up to become a new patient. Whether it’s an urgent visit or a routine check-up, we’d love to see you.