Helping Patients Find Weekend Emergency Dentists near Aurora, IL

What Counts as a Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies are considered situations that require a dental professional to address the situation immediately; otherwise, the problem could grow in intensity and become harder to treat. For example, if you have an infection in your gums, this could spread throughout your mouth if the source of the infection isn’t fixed.

Below are just a few different types of dental emergencies we help treat, including on weekends.

If you are in pain, suffered an accident, or have any of these symptoms, it is best not to wait. Contact Emergency Dental Service as soon as possible to get fast access to dentists. Our customer care team is available 24/7 and can be reached whenever you have an emergency. Delaying treatment can make the condition worse.

• Abscessed tooth. If you have an infection around your tooth or gums, your tooth is considered abscessed. An abscess is a painful swelling in the gums that can be filled with pus, and this attacks the root of the tooth and the space between your teeth and gums. To avoid having this spread to any surrounding tissue, have a professional examine the area and stop the infection.
• Toothache. It can be frustrating going shopping on the weekend only to experience a severe toothache out of nowhere. Toothaches can form for many different reasons, including trauma, decay, or infection. If this happens to you on the weekend, find a dentist with Saturday hours who can determine what’s causing your toothache and have it promptly resolved.
• Knocked-out tooth. In some cases, mainly due to physical trauma like car accidents or sports injuries, a permanent tooth can become knocked out or avulsed. When this happens, you may be able to have the tooth re-fixed in the socket, but only if you react quickly. Should this occur over the weekend, a dentist's office, open on Saturdays and Sundays, can review your situation and determine if your tooth can be saved.
• Lost restorations. Dental restorations like crowns, fillings, and bridges are used to protect teeth that needed work in the past. Unfortunately, these can sometimes become loose and fall out or get damaged while you’re eating. The last thing you want to experience is a crown falling out while you’re trying to relax after a long week at work. Nonetheless, a weekend dentist can help repair or replace your restorations so you can feel instant relief.
• Tooth extraction. In some cases, the best way to take care of your oral health is to fully extract or remove a tooth that is becoming a problem. Some teeth suffer from decay or damage, and while dentists will try to save them, there may be no other choice if they’re too problematic. If you need a tooth extracted properly and with short notice, dentists who are open on weekends may be your best choice.

There are several other dental emergencies that we can help address, such as bleeding gums, jaw injury, root canals, problems with dentures, and more. Should any of these affect you, we encourage you to reach out to a dentist open on Saturdays and Sundays so they can figure out how to help you.

What Do I Do if I Sustain a Dental Emergency?

It’s easy to panic and wonder what to do if you suddenly experience a debilitating toothache or jaw swelling. However, it is important to remain calm and follow a few key tips.

You may be tempted to call your dentist and ask for an appointment, but if their schedules are busy or their time slots are booked for a while, you may need an alternative. Instead of waiting several months and trying to tough it out, contact Emergency Dental Service with your concerns. For those who reside near Aurora, IL, the contact team will advise you to visit our office, where they can provide directions.

In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to manage your pain and make this situation easier. You can take over-the-counter pain medicine to mitigate the pain but do not rely on these as a permanent solution in any case. If you have an avulsed tooth, rinse the tooth in saline or salt water to remove any debris, as the dentist may have an easier time fixing this tooth when you come in.

This situation can be distressing, but it’s important to stay calm, contact a weekend dentist, and do what is necessary to keep yourself comfortable and pain free in the meantime.

Why Do We Need Dentists Open on Weekends?

You may be wondering why some dentists open on weekends in general, as most dentists operate Monday through Friday and take weekends off. However, there are two main reasons some dentists open on Saturday and Sunday.

The first reason has to do with people’s schedules. While some people have the ability to request time off of work to go to dentist appointments, some people cannot do this. Some people may have to work eight hours a day, and then they need to head home and take care of their kids in the evening. Time is a concern for some people, and even if they don’t have a dental emergency, they can visit a weekend dentist for regular checkups. This means they don’t have to take themselves out of work for these appointments.

The second reason relates to dental emergencies. Dentists who work five days a week and close on weekends likely have fully booked schedules, and it’s hard to fit people in at the last minute. If you do suffer from a chipped tooth, for example, it may take a couple of months for your regular dentist to find time for you. Instead, you can visit a weekend dentist who can see you much sooner and address your problem before it gets out of hand. If you were to have a dental emergency on a Saturday, you would need to call a weekend dentist anyway, as most dental offices are closed and cannot help.

If we didn’t have some dentists open on Saturday or Sunday, many individuals would have excruciating pain related to a dental issue, and these problems would take much longer to fix. Fortunately, some offices, such as Smile More Dental, are prepared to help patients who need to visit a dentist open on weekends.

Are Weekend Dentists Different From Regular Dentists?

Aside from the additional flexibility, a dentist open on Saturdays and Sundays isn’t much different from a regular dentist.

Dentists are responsible for examining a patient's oral health and determining any problems that could become worse down the line. Whether it’s something more minor like plaque buildup or a major concern like jaw swelling, a dentist is responsible for finding the root of the problem, fixing it, and educating patients on what to do next.

Some dental emergencies can be fixed on the same day you enter the office, while others may require a follow-up appointment. A chipped tooth can likely be fixed the same day you contact us, but if you need a root canal, you may need to come back in on a later day. This can sound frustrating, but dentists can provide you with a temporary solution while you wait to come back, such as pain medicine that specifically helps your case.

Why Do Some Dentists Close on Weekends?

Just like many workplaces, some dentists close their offices on weekends for several reasons.

The main reason is because these offices don’t have enough staff to warrant opening longer than five days at only a few hours at a time. For example, an office might be open from nine in the morning and close at five in the afternoon every day from Monday through Friday. On weekends, staff can rest or do other daily tasks they can’t do during the week. \

Dentists are considered business owners, as they open up their own private practices and can set their schedules however they’d like. Because many dental practices aren’t bound by a hospital’s regulations, they can operate their office and hire staff as they see fit. With that said, some dentists do work on weekends for various reasons.

First, some dentists may have the ability to hire staff who are willing to work weekends, or the dentist may work exclusively on weekends. Also, some dentists like helping their local community, and they know that some people do need dental work on weekends. Rather than force patients to manage their condition on their own, they open on Saturdays and Sundays so patients have the ability to get treated.

Do Dentists Open on Saturdays and Sundays Charge More?

No dental practice charges the same amount for their services, as it depends on your pain level, the complexity of your issue, insurance, and more. However, generally speaking, you may have to pay more for weekend dental services.

If your matter is urgent, such as an avulsed tooth that’s causing you excruciating pain, you may be told to come in the day you contact help. However, this may mean you’ll have to pay more. What’s more likely is that the tools required to treat your case cost a significant amount of money. For example, if you need a filling, the dentist must have this ordered and custom-made for you, which can cost more than simply having a checkup.

This may sound intimidating, but our team wants to remind you that we’ll work with you when it comes to cost. We know you may not have the money ready when you need a dental emergency fixed, but we won’t turn you away from this. Instead, we’ll consider your dental insurance and determine if we can discount anything from the cost. Many weekend dentists offer payment plans that are easier to work with, and we can check to see if you qualify for one.

Scheduling an Appointment With Smile More Dental

When you need a weekend dentist in the Aurora, IL, area, we hope you’ll consider visiting our office so we can resolve your problem swiftly and precisely. Trying to find help while also managing your pain can be tough, which is why we’ll do what we need to do to get you to our office as soon as possible.

When you call Emergency Dental Service with your concerns, they’ll provide instructions on how to reach our office, as well as give you tips that can help reduce some of your pain. They are open 24/7, so don’t hesitate to call as soon as you realize you have a dental emergency.

Don’t Wait, Call Us Today

Smile More Dental is open on Saturdays and Sundays for people who experience a dental emergency on the weekend. Some people try to deal with their emergencies themselves, but this only makes the situation more complicated and harder for us to resolve. It can be frustrating finding a dentist who will take your case on the weekend, as most close their doors on weekends. Fortunately, we’re willing to help patients throughout the Aurora area who need it.

To learn more about how we can help, visit Emergency Dental Service and review their list of weekend dentists who can assist you. Also, you can call 1-833-624-1382 to speak with a contact team member at EDS who will match you with the right dentist.