ER or Dentist? Where To Go For A Dental Emergency

One in six Americans will have a dental emergency in the next year. In some cases, it may be difficult to know if you should head to the ER for a dental emergency or see your dentist. If you injure a tooth in an accident or sports-related trauma, an emergency room will be able to stop the bleeding and offer temporary pain relief. However, upon leaving the ER and returning home, patients should seek immediate help from an emergency dentist in State College, PA. Our dental experts at Advanced Dentistry of Centre County provide urgent dental emergency care when patients need it most to repair, replace, or save a damaged tooth.

What is a dental emergency?

Facial trauma due to a vehicle or sports-related accident can be a complex injury and require special attention from a professional dentist. If you need emergency dental care, the ER cannot treat your dental problem unless it is a health concern. They may use temporary measures to relieve pain until you can see a dentist. Generally speaking, any dental problem that needs immediate treatment to stop excessive bleeding, save a tooth, or alleviate severe pain is considered a dental emergency. To help determine if you should head to the ER, or find an emergency dentist, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you have persistent bleeding from the mouth?
• Do you have an abscess or infected tooth?
• Do you have an impacted wisdom tooth?
• Do you have an aching tooth or painful swelling?
• Do you have facial bone trauma or a fractured jaw?
• Have you lost a permanent tooth?

Can you go to the ER for a dental emergency?

You can avoid an ER visit and take your dental emergency to one of our dental experts in most situations. Most hospital emergency rooms do not have a dentist on staff. It is also illegal for anyone other than a dentist to perform an emergency root canal, extractions, or other dental care. Emergency room doctors can mainly only provide temporary pain relief. Most patients who walk into the ER for a dental emergency are given pain medication or an antibiotic and told to contact their dentist. However, there may be an urgent or life-threatening situation that requires an emergency room visit to stabilize a patient with:

• Intense pain
• Injury to facial bone structure
• Persistent bleeding

How to find an emergency dentist in State College, PA

At Advanced Dentistry of Centre County, our team of skilled dentists and dental hygienists specialize in urgent dental care and provides numerous preventive treatments and emergency dental care services. We want our patients in State College, PA to know we are always available to help relieve them of any dental discomfort or pain. Whether it's a lost tooth or a more traumatic injury, we provide a variety of restorative dentistry treatments as a component of emergency dental care. If you're dealing with a dental emergency, time is of the essence to prevent the issue or injury from getting worse. Contact our office if you need immediate dental care.