Helping Patients Find Weekend Emergency Dentists near Chandler, AZ

Understanding Dental Emergencies

A dental emergency is any dental situation that requires a professional dentist to immediately treat the situation. Otherwise, the situation could become worse, leading to severe infections, injury, and pain. Dental emergencies can happen at any time, and there’s no way to expect when one will appear.

Some of the most common dental emergencies our team can help you resolve include:

• Damaged fillings, crowns, and bridges. These restorations were initially designed for you to protect teeth that needed dental work in the past. In some cases, these can fall out of your mouth, putting your teeth at risk of injury. Should a restoration fall out, become loose, or get damaged, a weekend dentist can address your issue so you don’t damage your teeth.
• Tooth injuries. Tooth injuries such as chips, breaks, cracks, or other trauma should be healed as soon as possible to prevent additional problems. For example, if you fall and hurt your jaw, your tooth could become misaligned and damage your other teeth when you’re trying to eat. If you don’t get this treated, your tooth might later need to be extracted. If you visit a dentist with Saturday hours instead, you might be able to have your tooth fixed without needing to be extracted.
• Impaired braces. For those who wear braces, wires can sometimes become loose and begin scraping your other teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue. While you can use a cotton ball to cover the end of the broken wire, this isn’t a permanent solution. You must get in contact with a dentist open on weekends so they can replace the wire and prevent additional injuries.
• Toothache. Toothaches can appear at random, and you should never ignore one if you start to experience it. Toothaches usually mean that there is a problem with the tooth itself, the root, or the gums. Regardless of why you’re having a toothache, it is imperative to have a weekend dentist examine the area. If your problem progresses, it can start to damage your other teeth and tissue.
• Knocked-out tooth. Also referred to as an avulsed tooth, a knocked-out tooth usually occurs when you become injured in an accident and one of your teeth falls out of the socket. People involved in car accidents, work accidents, or sports injuries are likely to experience avulsed teeth. If one or more of your teeth gets knocked out, there is a chance a weekend dentist can save it, though you must be fast and get to a dentist's office open on weekends.
• Abscessed tooth. An abscess is an infection that eats away at a tooth’s root, nearby tissue, or the space between your teeth and gums. These usually swell up and contain pus, so if you notice swelling or pus in your gums, you could have an abscessed tooth. A dentist with Saturday hours can help you eliminate the infection, clean the area, and prevent further damage.

Dental emergencies come in multiple forms, and if your situation is causing you immense pain, don’t hesitate to reach out to a qualified weekend dentist.

What Should I Do if a Dental Emergency Happens on the Weekend?

It’s easy to start worrying about your dental health if an emergency occurs, and because these events can’t be anticipated, you may not know what to do if an emergency happens.

The first step when dealing with an emergency is to remain calm. We understand that your pain is excruciating, but if you can remain calm, you can prevent additional harm, making it easier for a weekend dentist to assist you. As soon as you’re able to, call EDS and inform them that you have a dental emergency. In doing so, they’ll recommend the nearest location you can visit to have your emergency treated. You should disclose as many details as possible so the weekend dentist can be prepared before you even arrive.

If your tooth was knocked out, you can gently rinse your tooth in salt water or saline. This can remove any debris on the tooth and make your weekend dentist’s job easier. If you want to take any over-the-counter pain medicine like acetaminophen to calm down the pain, you can do so. However, these should never be used as your permanent solution, as these only mitigate your pain, not eliminate it.

Once you’ve taken your precautions and contacted EDS, you can attend your weekend dental emergency appointment.

Visiting a Saturday or Sunday Dentistry

After booking an appointment through EDS, you can visit your weekend dentist. If your emergency occurred in Chandler, AZ, you could be sent to our location at Ocotillo Lakes Dental Health. We’ll already be prepared to deal with your emergency based on the information given to us, and as soon as you walk through our doors, we’ll get you ready for an examination.

Your weekend dentist will then examine your mouth for anything considered an emergency. If you’ve already explained your emergency, your dentist will know what to look for, though they still may need to examine your mouth to find the cause of the issue. For example, if you have a problem like a toothache that isn’t visible, they may use more advanced tools to identify the issue, such as X-rays.

After the weekend dentist has identified the issue, they can then decide how to treat it. In most cases, your condition will be treated that same day. Other cases, like root canals, may require an extra day to treat. This also depends on how severe your situation is, as more severe problems that need more extensive work may not be treatable that same day. This can sound concerning, but weekend dentists make sure to provide patients with temporary pain relief if they request for you to come back later.

Every dentist open on weekends wishes they could treat everyone the day they come in, and you likely want your problem gone as soon as possible. While this isn’t always possible, we’re committed to providing you with high-quality care at the earliest moment possible.

How Do Weekend Dentists Differ From Normal Dentists?

There aren’t too many differences between normal and weekend dentists, though there are a few noteworthy differences to consider.

Normal dentists tend to operate solely during the week from Monday through Friday. They also aren’t open 24 hours a day, as they want to give themselves and their employees time off. This is done for a few different reasons:

• They own their private practice, meaning they can set their hours and hire the people they’d like to help at their office.
• They may not have enough staff or finances to remain open every day.
• They mostly perform cleanings and other similar dental procedures, which can be done at any time and don’t put patients at risk of injury.

Dental offices open on Saturday and Sunday, however, do have time to help patients on the weekends. If you have a serious toothache, or if you break a tooth while eating, you should never tough out the situation and wait for a normal dentist to examine it. Instead, you should contact a weekend dentist so they can treat your problem immediately. Weekend dentists may have enough staff to stay open all the time, or they specifically open on weekends to help patients who have suffered an emergency.

Aside from the availability, weekend dentists are very similar to normal dentists. However, when an emergency occurs, especially on the weekend, it’s much easier to get in touch with a dentist open on weekends.

Why Do I Have to See a Dentist Open on Saturday and Sunday?

It may seem tempting to wait until your next regular dentist appointment to have a root canal looked at. However, you shouldn’t have to put yourself through severe pain, especially if teams like ours can find permanent relief for you.

The main reason we encourage you to see a weekend dentist is that you have more flexibility should a dental emergency appear. For example, if you are running errands with your spouse on Saturday but fall and chip a tooth, you can get into a weekend dentist’s office that same day. You might not think that a chipped tooth is much to worry about, but it can pose a safety risk if you’re trying to eat or drink.

Typical dentists aren’t open on the weekends, and if you don’t know who to go to for dental work on the weekend, your pain will only get worse. For this reason, we recommend calling EDS and discussing your situation with them.

Will Weekend Dentists Charge Me More for Their Services?

Cost is a common concern for many individuals seeking dentists open on weekends. We understand that you might not have a lump sum of money ready to pay after sustaining an injury or other emergency. We will do everything we can to work with you on this, and there’s a chance you may be eligible for a discount.

Overall, dentists open on weekends do charge more for their services, but this is because of two factors:

1. Urgency. Because you’re coming to visit on short notice, and because there is generally more availability, you may have to pay more to be treated.
2. Customized treatment. Dental procedures like X-rays, fillings, and crowns cost a fair amount of money to use or create. Because you need emergency dental care, it can cost more to accelerate the production speed of restorations.

A simple checkup with your regular dentist may not cost you as much as visiting a weekend dentist. However, you’re likely only having normal checkups at your regular dentist, which doesn’t cost as much to do compared to needing a root canal or new crown. As a reminder, while our services may cost more, our primary goal is to eliminate your emergency and get you back to your daily routine.

You can inform EDS of your financial situation, which includes if you have insurance. Based on your situation, EDS can then work with us to determine how you will pay for your treatment. In some cases, patients may be eligible for a payment plan that makes this process easier.

Weekend Emergency Dentist Service in Chandler, AZ

We know how debilitating a dental emergency can be, and it’s frustrating when you can’t predict when these situations will happen. Some people avoid emergency dental services due to the cost, or because they think they can handle the pain. However, even if you can manage your pain, your situation will only get worse, and your gums, tissue, or other teeth can become damaged. Rather than take an unnecessary risk, get in touch with EDS today.

Our team at Ocotillo Lakes Dental Health works closely with EDS to ensure we treat as many emergencies as possible. EDS has also provided a list of weekend dentists near you, so if you ever travel or someone else you know needs emergency care, you can refer to the list. To speak with EDS today, call 1-833-624-1382 with any questions or concerns you have. We look forward to seeing you in person to resolve your dental emergency.