Typically dentists only work during the week with only a few of them offering weekend hours. Those dentists that do offer weekend hours may reserve these for emergencies only. They may also charge more for weekend or emergency visits, so you might need to consider carefully if you need to see such a dentist. At the same time, you don't want to easily assume that a true dental emergency can be put off, as certain problems with your teeth can lead to actual tooth loss. Note when it's good to see an emergency or weekend dentist, no matter the cost or inconvenience.
1. When you have severe pain after an injury
If you bumped your mouth on a doorway or fell and hit a countertop, you may or may not have caused severe damage to your teeth. In some cases the cheek and gums will absorb the impact so that your teeth are protected.
However, if you continue to have severe pain after such an injury, you need to see a weekend or emergency dentist. You may not be able to see the damage done to teeth from the outside of your mouth but you could have hit the roots of the tooth or may have caused a small chip in the tooth, allowing an infection to settle in. Don't overlook severe pain that doesn't go away even if your mouth and teeth look fine but see a dentist right away.
2. When an injured area feels very warm
If an injured area of your mouth such as a chipped tooth or cut inside the cheek feels very warm, this may be a sign of an infection. Note that it doesn't always take long for an infection to set in, and warmth often means that your body is trying to fight that infection. If you've injured your mouth or have bitten the inside of your cheeks and notice that the area seems inflamed or warm and doesn't cool down, see a dentist right away.
3. When a tooth seems loose
You might have a tooth come loose after an injury but this could happen at other times as well. You may have an infection under the tooth or impacted wisdom teeth are pushing other teeth out of place. Whatever the cause, you don't want to ignore this. In some cases the tooth may strengthen on its own but not always; you could easily lose the tooth once it's loose, so see a weekend dentist if needed to pinpoint the cause and have it treated.
Share25 November 2015
As a retired dentist, I work with charities which visit developing countries and educate children about dental care. It gives me great satisfaction to revisit these communities and see how proud the children are of their efforts. I am acutely aware that good dental hygiene can help prevent a range of serious conditions when these children become older. I started this blog because it greatly distresses me that many people in Australia do not seem to care for their teeth as much as children in these poor communities. This is happening despite ready access to items like toothbrushes and toothpaste which are luxuries in the places I visit. It is my hope that this blog encourages you not to take dental health for granted. My greatest wish is that you can be as inspired as the children I see in my charity work. Please read on and enjoy.
