Weekend Dental Emergencies in North York, When to Seek Help Fast

Dental emergencies occur at the most inopportune times, including weekends, which for many North York residents, are the most busy times of the week. When patients experience sudden pain, swelling, broken teeth, and infections, they most times wonder whether they should wait until Monday, or go for urgent care. Seeking emergency care helps avoid complications, reduces pain, and protects your mouth from becoming compromised for the long run. Being aware of the most common emergencies and knowing when an emergency occurs can eliminate the need for unnecessary trips to emergency services while ensuring your safety.

The most common emergency services are in large part due to the fact that many people overlook the possibility of the services in the first place. Why do you think these services are overlooked?

The weekends in North York are among the busiest times in the week. This is the most common time for people to run their errands and for families to spend time together. Sporting activities and outdoor projects can lead to enjoyment of the outdoors but also come with the risk of leading to dental emergencies which is often overlooked. Some of the risks that can occur outside along with the enjoyment include:

• • Injuries from sports or other activities.
• • Damage from biting down on hard foods.
• • Increased pain in the teeth of those suffering from dental illness.
• • Severe pain from existing dental issues.
• • Severe problems from already existing dental issues can lead to more problems down the road.
• • Issues related to sleep can cause grinding of teeth.

Typical dental clinics in North York stay closed on weekends, but clients may encounter complications over the weekends. Understanding the symptoms of a true emergency can give you the peace of mind to seek help before the problem gets worse.

Symptoms Justifying the Need for Weekend Dental Care

The following symptoms, among others, require your attention and can lead to adverse complications. Please help people with any of the following symptoms, including on weekends, as help may be time-sensitive.

Intense or Ongoing Tooth Discomfort

A toothache with pulsing or throbbing pain that gets progressively worse over time can indicate a serious tooth problem. Dentists may close for the weekend, but try to see one before they close to prevent the pain, and seek help to contain any potential spread of the infection to other parts of your body.

Gum, Cheek, Jaw, or Under Eye Swelling

This could be the presence of an abscess. Depending on the level of seriousness, this can escalate to a medical emergency as dental infections can escalate and spread to other body parts.

A Tooth That Is Broken or Has a Crack In It

If a tooth is broken or has a crack in it, further deterioration of that tooth may occur, and it can become infected. This is particularly the case if the sensitive inner parts of the tooth are exposed. Prompt attention is needed if a significant portion of the tooth has broken off.

Knocked-Out Tooth

If you want to increase the odds of being able to save a permanent tooth, there is a 30 to 60 minute window to treat this.

Lost Crown or Filling

If a lost crown or filling causes sharp pain, is exposed to the tooth’s nerve, or does not allow chewing, it causes problems and can become an emergency.

Multiple Symptoms at Once

These collections of symptoms commonly require immediate dental care as they may be a danger to your health. This is especially true for symptoms signatures an infection, as they may be able to be ignored over the weekend. Symptoms can include fever and difficulty of swallowing, which can be dangerous and need a doctor’s help.

Common Weekend Dental Emergencies in North York

Due to an increase of activities and social events, as well as treatment delays from earlier in the week, there is an increase of the same type of weekend dental emergencies.

1. Abscesses and Infections

An abscess can from rapidly and can cause swelling, pain, unpleasant taste, and redness around the mouth. Unmanaged, this can be an even greater issue.

2. Chipped or Cracked Teeth

While out on the weekends, people are more likely to partake in sporting activities, grinding their teeth, or bite on tough foods, which increase the chances of chips or fractures in the teeth.

3. Knocked-Out Teeth

With falls, sports, or accidents, someone can very quickly lose teeth, and/or, in case of an emergency, some teeth can get knocked out. Someone quickly reacting can get it reimplanted, though.

4. Lost Crowns or Fillings

Old dental work can get loose or lost due to temperature changes or chewing pressure, leading to complications suddenly on weekends.

5. Gum Injuries or Cuts

During activities or eating, sometimes trauma can occur that can lead to bleeding, along with painful injuries that will need to be assessed.

6. Wisdom Tooth Flares

Over the weekends or at nights, impacted and partially erupted wisdom teeth can swell and lead to intense pain that will get worse over time.

When You Can Wait Until Monday

If the pain is bearable and there’s no swelling, you can likely wait until the following business day with the dental issue that you may have.

• ✓ There are small chips of your tooth, and no pain is experienced.
• ✓ There is only mild sensitivity to eating cold foods or sweets.
• ✓ There is minor bleeding from your gums and no other pain, and it happens only when you are flossing.
• ✓ You have a loose crown, but no nerves are exposed.
• ✓ You have discomfort from your braces, and that will be the only issue you have (unless the wires are cutting into your gums or cheeks).

These to be the most rational, so the next step should be to contact the dentist over the phone to schedule an appointment with them during the week.

Tips and Tricks to Consider while You Await your Dental Visit

While waiting for an appointment on the weekend, you may want to consider the following to help ease the pain and reduce the danger:

• ✓ Eased gum tissue can be calmed with a rinse of salt water.
• ✓ Swelling can be decreased with a cold pack.
• ✓ Some pain medications can be taken for relief.
• ✓ Refrain from chewing on the side of your mouth that is affected.
• ✓ For a lost tooth, you should store it in a moist environment like milk or saliva.
• ✓ If your tooth has a lot of sensitivity, you should steer clear of hot and cold food.
• ✓ For broken wires in your braces, you can use dental wax as a temporary solution.

While you should make sure to see a dentist as soon as possible, the temporary measures you take may help to ease some of the worst pain.

Why Weekends Are Important for Dental Practice

Having North York dentists that are open on weekends is beneficial in a number of ways, and it is good peace of mind knowing that you are able to avoid problems that may require more extensive work. Some of the positive aspects of having a dentist available on weekends include:

• ✓ Many urgent issues arise during weekends.
• ✓ Earliest visits can help with the risk of major infections.
• ✓ Fast procedures are available to lessen pain and recovery time.
• ✓ Patients can prevent unnecessary trips to ER.
• ✓ Travelers can access timely health services.

Individuals living in North York which is a long distance from downtown Toronto have packed schedules during weekdays with little to no spare time. Weekend opening hours from dentists relieve waiting time and provide patients with access to timely effective care.

Assessing if a Situation Requires Urgent Care

Use the listed questions as a guide when in doubt to help you think if you should get emergency care.

• ⚠ Is the discomfort severe or worsening?
• ⚠ Are there signs of inflammation?
• ⚠ Are you having trouble with mouth movement or closing it?
• ⚠ Did the injury result from trauma or sporting activities?
• ⚠ Is there persistent blood loss?
• ⚠ Are you feeling sick or have a fever?

If you said YES to any of these questions, it is advisable to seek dental care services from a dentist who is available over the weekend.

Finding Ways To Prevent Emergency Trips Over The Weekend

With the following proper dental care, many urgent dental problems can be avoided over the weekends, such as:

• ✓ Taking time for dental cleanings and check-ups at the dentist.
• ✓ Early treatment of small cavity dental problems.
• ✓ Timely replacement of dental fillings that are worn out.
• ✓ Use a teeth guard if you have teeth grinding problems.
• ✓ Use a mouthguard for sports activities to protect the teeth.
• ✓ Stay away from chewing very hard foods such as tough dishes, ice, or hard candy.

Preventive services protect your teeth from unanticipated distress and illnesses over long periods of time.