By Last Updated: May 20, 2022
Emergency Family Dental Services in Calgary Alberta

Some dental problems just won’t wait. If you or one of the family is experiencing tooth, gum or jaw pain, a broken tooth, tooth loss or is bleeding from the mouth, you need to see an emergency family dentist as soon as possible.

Leaving a serious dental problem or trying to handle it with over-the-counter painkillers for any length of time can cause more serious damage not only to your oral health but to your overall health and wellbeing.

If you or one of your children is ever in need of emergency dentistry, our family dentists in Calgary will ensure that a painful problem doesn’t have more serious consequences.

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Our emergency family dental services

Affordable emergency dental care can be hard to find in Calgary. Sierra Dental offers emergency care for the whole family and we provide you with a reliable emergency number to call after your family signs up as patients with us.

Our family emergency dental services cover the following issues:

  • Severe toothache that cannot be solved with over-the-counter painkillers
  • Facial swelling
  • Gum infections
  • Jaw pain
  • Uncontrollable bleeding from the gums
  • Cracked, chipped or broken teeth
  • Painful cavities and/or lost fillings
  • Loss of a tooth/teeth
  • Cheek, lip or tongue injuries

Our emergency dentists are highly skilled in all aspects of emergency dentistry and can relieve your pain and discomfort, stop bleeding, and/or help you restore lost or damaged teeth.

We use the latest technology to identify the cause of the issue, limit the invasiveness of the procedures required and, if necessary, sedate you during the procedure.

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Benefits of using our emergency family dental service

Having the right information and the right expertise available in emergencies can make all the difference.

Calgary families who use our emergency dental services can:

  • Book an emergency appointment online or using a special number we provide
  • Contact us 24/7 without conditions
  • Get high-quality emergency dental care affordably (according to the 2022 Alberta Dental Fee Guide)

Our family dentists can treat your family members of all ages in emergency situations or otherwise.

What is considered a dental “emergency”?

Any severe pain or bleeding in the mouth may count as a dental emergency, as well as certain other problems that may appear with or without warning.

Do not try to “push on” with severe toothache as an infected tooth can create other complications if not treated.

Likewise, bleeding or swollen gums, broken or chipped teeth that impact eating, loose teeth, jaw pain, broken dentures and lost fillings could all be considered dental emergencies.

What should I do before my emergency dental appointment in Calgary?

It’s good to be prepared even in emergencies. Taking a few basic steps in a dental emergency can save you or a family member from additional discomfort and/or inconvenience.

If you call our emergency number, an emergency family dentist will provide you with instructions on what to do before your appointment. The precise steps you will need to take will depend on the nature of the emergency but it could involve the following:

If you lose a tooth, pick it up without touching the root. Rinse it in water without removing any attached tissue, place it in a small container and take it to your appointment. You may be able to save the tooth if you see one of our emergency family dentists within an hour of it being knocked out.

Use warm water and floss to clean the tooth and try a cold compress on the outside of your cheek to relieve discomfort along with standard painkillers.

Avoid chewing where the lost filling or crown used to be and make sure that you keep any broken parts of your crown and bring them to your appointment.

If a piece breaks off your tooth, try to keep it and bring it to your appointment with you after rinsing it in water. Rinse your mouth with warm water and manage any bleeding using gauze. If you experience pain or swelling, apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth.

Injuries to the gums, cheeks, lips, or tongue can result in severe bleeding. Your first emergency step should be to control this.

Firstly, rinse your mouth with a mild saline solution, moisten a piece of gauze and apply pressure to the bleeding area for around 15 or 20 minutes. Pain, discomfort and bleeding can also be managed with a cold compress applied to the outside of the mouth.

For severe bleeding that won’t stop, it may be advisable to go to a hospital for treatment before a family dentist.

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What will happen during an emergency dental appointment?

Emergency patients in Calgary are seen the same day — and as soon as possible. Relieving pain and discomfort and avoiding deterioration of the problem are the initial goals of emergency family dentistry. Once you arrange your appointment, we will be ready for you.

Initial treatment at your appointment could involve an emergency extraction, temporary filling or prescription medication. In some cases, we may advise short-term interim treatment to relieve pain before you decide on longer-term treatment (more complex problems may involve an underlying disease).

Can your family dentist do emergency tooth extractions?

Our Calgary family dentists can perform emergency tooth extractions if necessary. This will be assessed at your emergency appointment.

If you go to an emergency room in a hospital, a doctor cannot normally perform a tooth extraction and will have to call in a licensed dentist to do the work. E.R. staff can help you alleviate pain but will not perform the extraction.

Is a toothache considered an emergency?

Everyone has a different tolerance to pain. If you experience a toothache that impacts your ability to function normally, it should be treated as an emergency.

You needn’t have sharp and shooting pain. Dull, throbbing pain can be just as debilitating. Don’t ignore it as it could escalate and lead to a lost tooth or other more serious problems.

The best plan of action is to let one of our emergency dentists check the problem.

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