Can The Emergency Room Pull Teeth

From how to stem bleeding to saving a knocked out tooth these are the things you really need to know before an emergency even happens.

Can the emergency room pull teeth.

The er staff can get patients stabilized control bleeding and give treatment for dental fractures. This one seems like a no brainer but many people don t realize that in most states it is illegal for anyone other than a dentist to pull a tooth fill a cavity or perform any restorative dental care. Pulling teeth called tooth extraction by dental professionals is not something that can be done without dental training. Only a dentist can perform dentistry.

There are two basic types of extraction procedures. Visiting an emergency room to get relief is the only option since an abscessed tooth is classified as a dental emergency. In the case of bacterial infections they can provide antibiotics and will arrange for transfer to hospital if necessary. Finding an emergency room with a dentist on staff or on call is extremely rare.

But the pain of an infected damaged or a cavitated tooth is too great to ignore. If it s something where the pain is so severe you just cannot get it under control you can come to the er. Dental emergencies or traumas involving the face and mouth that require immediate medical attention include jaw fractures jaw dislocations serious cuts or lacerations to the face and mouth or an abscess or infection that is very swollen or affecting your breathing or swallowing. Emergency room personnel are not qualified to address tooth pain.

It is also unviable to wait when you are in a lot of pain. While most emergency rooms don t have the facilities to provide routine dental care they can help in emergencies when urgent care is needed. Pain is an emergency and no one can be faulted for visiting the emergency room to seek reprieve. So if you ve got a toothache as long as you can control the pain at home i would say don t go to the er.

Your best course of action is to reach out to your regular dentist to see if you can drop by for an analysis and treatment. Tooth pain is a serious issue yet it should not spur a trip to the emergency room. As an emergency physician i m not trained it s just not part of what i do to pull a tooth if you ve got a severe cavity. Your dentist is the obvious go to when you experience a dental emergency but in some situations it may be best to go straight to the emergency room.