When you suffer from unexpected pain and can’t see your regular doctor, your first instinct is likely to visit the emergency room. The Health Policy Institute found that the number of patients visiting the ER for a dental problem increased by 4% between 1997 and 2007. The same organization also found that more than 1% of all ER visits in a single year occurred because of dental pain or dental problems. While you might think that the doctors working in the emergency room can treat your problem and make the pain disappear, there is little that those doctors can actually do.

What Can ER Doctors Do?

If you break your leg in an accident at home, the doctor working in the emergency room will give you something for the pain, set your leg and send you home with some medication. Those doctors have lots of experience with people suffering from various medical conditions, but the doctors on staff do not have experience treating dental conditions. You may receive a prescription painkiller designed to numb some of the pain that you feel, but the hospital may only give you a mild painkiller. If the doctor discovers any inflammation in your mouth, he or she may prescribe an antibiotic and recommend that you see a dentist as soon as possible.

What You Can Do at Home

There are a few things you can do at home to numb some of your pain until you can make an appointment with your dentist. Placing a bag of ice or frozen vegetables wrapped inside of a towel on your face can reduce the swelling and numb the pain. You can also take over the counter medications designed to reduce inflammation and pain. Those simple remedies can help you reduce the pain overnight or for a few days until you can see your dentist.

Making an Appointment

While some hospitals have dentists working on staff, those dentists usually only come in during emergency situations. They might respond to someone with a shattered jaw but not someone suffering from pain because of a cavity. If you cannot handle the pain, look for an emergency dental clinic in your area and for dentists who have emergency hours. These clinics and offices are often open earlier in the day and later at night to assist patients. Make an appointment as soon as possible to treat painful cavities and other conditions.

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