Venetian Dental: Your 24/7 Lifeline for Dental Emergencies

Jordan Pysz / iFoundMyDoctor.com
With his abscess healed, Norman can eat again without pain.

Norman Jewett recommends services and facilities to people temporarily living in and around Sarasota. His work is part of a concierge service he owns and operates that caters to out-of-towners in the area for the season or on vacation. Norman’s service finds hotels and restaurants for clients, locates area health care providers and makes arrangements for activities, including procuring tee times for golfers and boat rentals for those wishing to spend a day on the water. Recently, Norman found himself in need of his own service after waking up with pain raging throughout his mouth and into his jaw. His first thought was to contact Alexander Gaukhman, DMD, of Venetian Dental. “When I woke up that morning, the upper right side of my mouth was hurting so bad I really couldn’t get out of bed,” Norman describes. “The pain was to the point where I couldn’t eat, drink or do anything.” Norman was not a patient of Dr. Gaukhman at the time, but over the years he had referred several clients to Venetian Dental and in return received rave reviews about the care they received. “Being a concierge, I went over and talked to the folks at Venetian Dental when they first came into the neighborhood,” Norman remembers. “So I knew they had emergency services and that you could pretty much call them anytime. So I called Venetian Dental, and they got me in that same day.” That was impressive enough, but Norman was more amazed with how the dentist and staff treated him. He says that despite being a newcomer to the practice, he was made to feel like family. “I’ve had a lot of people tell me how good and how polite they are, and I experienced that right away,” he relates. “They didn’t know me, but they said, Come on in, and they took care of me like they knew me, like I was their best friend.” Dr. Gaukhman determined that the cause of Norman’s pain was an abscess, a bacterial infection of the tooth that can begin in the root or the space between the gums and tooth. Though it is generally accompanied by pain and swelling, an abscess often requires extraction of the affected tooth, which is what Norman required. “Dr. Gaukhman did a really nice job of pulling the tooth,” Norman says. “He also cut out some of the soft tissue underlying the tooth. That was to keep the infection from spreading down into my heart or into my blood, where it could get down into the new hips I recently had replaced and infect those. They took good care of me.”

Pain Tells a Story

Not all dental emergencies crop up on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. the way Norman’s did. When they don’t, patients need a dental practice that offers emergency services to diagnose and treat their condition appropriately and effectively. Venetian Dental is committed to treating those patients as well. “The most common emergencies we see are extreme tooth pain caused by abscesses, broken teeth and mouth trauma from accidents,” Dr. Gaukhman observes. “These are situations that need to be treated immediately. We also see lost fillings and broken dentures, bridges and crowns. These also require care as soon as possible.

“Going to Venetian Dental was a very good experience, an absolute 10 out of 10.” – Norman

“It is important that these patients are seen quickly so we can relieve their pain and get their dental issue resolved. I or one of my associates at Venetian Dental is available 24 hours a day whenever a patient calls with an emergency. We can schedule an appointment for them the same day or first thing the next day. We also see patients after hours and on weekends in one of our three locations, Venice, Sarasota or Osprey.” Not all dental emergencies involve pain, but tooth or mouth pain is often a good indicator that something needs attention. When tooth pain is sudden and excruciating, it can be related to a serious infection that can damage the tooth to the point that it fails and requires extraction. “Some people will get an infection but let it go until it becomes an abscess, and then the damage is done,” Dr. Gaukhman explains. “Often, the tooth cannot be saved and has to be removed. In these situations, we give the patients all the information about what to do and what not to do after the extraction so that they heal without complications. “This post-extraction information includes how to take care of the extraction site and their mouth as a whole to keep them healthy. We take very good care of our patients who come in with emergency needs. Many of them, like Norman, refer others to us because of the excellent treatment they received here.” Dr. Gaukhman points out that if emergency dental services aren’t available, patients are basically left with one option. “Patients with tooth pain and no access to an emergency dentist generally have to suffer,” he says. “They could go to the emergency room, where they will likely be prescribed antibiotics and pain medication, but they will not have their real dental problem addressed until they can make an appointment with their dentist during regular business hours.” The dentist adds that Venetian Dental’s services go above and beyond in other ways. “As part of our services, we can create or repair dentures on the premises in one day.”

A 10 Out Of 10

Luckily for Norman, there was an emergency dentist available when he needed one, and he was extremely pleased with the services he received. The dentist’s efforts relieved Norman’s pain and allowed him to put his life back in order. “Dr. Gaukhman numbed the area a little and then was very careful with the extraction,” Norman remarks. “When he was done, he stitched it up. The day after, it was sore, but since then it’s been absolutely perfect. I’ve had no problem at all.” Being a concierge, it’s important for Norman to make sure the services he recommends are top-notch. After being treated by Dr. Gaukhman, Norman knows that when he suggests Venetian Dental, he’s referring clients to one of the area’s top dental providers. “Going to Venetian Dental was a very good experience, an absolute 10 out of 10,” he states. “They made me feel comfortable in every way, shape and form. The staff was smiling and upbeat, and they were all laughing and joking. “And when Dr. Gaukhman came in, even he was laughing and smiling. They really treated me well. I would highly, highly recommend Venetian Dental.” Coming from someone who makes recommendations for a living, that says a mouthful.