A dental emergency is a genuine emergency, and it should receive prompt professional care. Trying to tough out severe tooth pain or not seeking treatment for damaged teeth can actually cost you time, money, and even lost teeth. In any dental emergency, day or night, call Dr. James Ross at Family, Cosmetic, & Laser Dentistry in Novi, MI at once. The teeth you save will certainly be your own.

When Bad Things Happen To Good Teeth

Dental emergencies are usually due to infection, accident, or the failure of tooth enamel or a dental restoration. Anything that opens the inside of the tooth to the outside provides a pathway for disease-causing bacteria to take hold.

Infections

The effects of dental infections aren’t limited just to your mouth. There’s a wide and growing body of research that links long-term dental infections with a host of serious health problems such as:

  • Heart disease
  • Lung problems
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Poor diabetes control
  • Premature birth and low birth weight
  • Various types of cancers

If you experience severe dental pain that has no obvious cause, it’s likely an infection. Dental infections hardly ever clear up on their own and typically get much worse. Prompt treatment is vital to avoid damage to the ligament that helps stabilize the tooth and even damage to the underlying bone.

Left untreated, dental infections can cause teeth to loosen and even to fall out.

If severe dental pain suddenly stops, it doesn’t mean that the problem is over. It means that the nerve in the tooth has died and can’t send pain signals to your brain any more.

Severe dental pain always means that something is seriously wrong. Call our Novi, MI immediately at 248-697-2487 for an emergency appointment. Even after business hours, Dr. James Ross will receive the call and determine whether you need to be seen at once or whether a next-day appointment will serve.

When A Tooth Goes Missing

Impacts due to falls, accidents, and blows can cause a tooth to be knocked out of its socket. As long as the tooth is intact, there’s a good chance that it can be placed back in the socket to re-root.

The most important thing is not to touch the exposed nerve. Handle the tooth carefully, rinse it under clean water, and place it in a small container of milk. Call our office at 248-697-2487 and we’ll provide the next steps.

Damaged Teeth

Tooth enamel is the single hardest substance in the human body, but there are limits to what it can withstand. Cracked or broken enamel due to biting something too hard is a common cause of tooth failure. Decay can also weaken enamel from underneath, causing it to break or fall off.

Enamel is also your first line of defense against the bacteria that live in your mouth, so any break in the enamel is something that should be taken care of promptly.

Old fillings and dental crowns are prone to cracking and/or breaking which exposes the interior of the tooth to bacteria. The longer you delay in seeking care, the greater chance that infection will gain a foothold.

Our Dental Emergency Services

Once you’re in our office, Dr. James Ross will take steps to get you out of pain quickly. After assessing your situation, he’ll discuss the appropriate treatment options with you. You should know that Dr. Ross is a firm believer that your natural teeth are best, and he’ll do everything possible to save a damaged or infected tooth unless you decide otherwise.

Damaged teeth can be repaired and strengthened by dental fillings and dental crowns. Infections can be treated by antibiotics, with a root canal later to remove the tissues inside the tooth that can still harbor bacteria. (Pro tip: root canals today are about as “bad” as getting a filling.) And teeth that have been knocked out can be re-implanted; Dr. Ross has an excellent success rate.

Don’t take chances with your teeth. In any dental emergency, contact Family, Cosmetic, & Laser Dentistry in Novi, MI at once at 248-697-2487.