Dental Emergencies Can Lead to Complications. They Need Your Immediate Attention.
If you don’t take care of a dental emergency straight away, it may lead to complications. Whether it means that you permanently lose a tooth or risk having an infection spread all throughout your body, it’s crucial that you get treatment for a dental emergency as soon as you can.
Emergency Dentistry
Some dental emergencies are simply inconvenient, or sometimes embarrassing. Other dental emergencies can put your health at risk. Chipping your tooth or losing a tooth from a hard impact are examples of emergencies that, while less threatening, benefit from immediate action.
What should I know about dental emergencies?
Everyone experience dental emergencies differently. It’s not uncommon for people to become frightened or panicked. You’re not alone if you’re beginning to worry about your teeth, especially considering that adults only have their mature set of teeth—they won’t grow back. Luckily, damage to your teeth is rarely going to escalate into a serious medical emergency if you get it treated by a doctor of oral health. That’s because dentists are expert practitioners of dentistry techniques that restore and repair your natural teeth. All you have to do is call our office and make an appointment. We’ll assess your dental emergency and provide you with the appropriate advice to take care of teeth before you come in for your appointment. In general, we advise you to keep the injured area clean so that you can prevent any potential infections.
What should I do if I have a dental emergency?
Although most dental emergencies aren't a threat to your health and well-being, it’s always advisable to take action immediately and enact preventive measures. This will improve the probability of a speedy recovery.
If you have a cracked tooth, it’s very important to rinse your mouth clean and apply a cold compress until you see our dentist for treatment. For adult tooth loss due to injury, keep it moist. You can try to push the tooth back in place gently. If that does not work, place your tooth in milk or an approved product that preserves it. You need to seek treatment for this type of dental emergency immediately. We can’t stress enough that time is critical to usability. The sooner you can get treatment, the greater the chances that we can reimplant your tooth without complication.
If your child loses a tooth, please bear in mind that they will not suffer long-term effects from the loss. Their teeth are not yet permanent, and they will be growing mature teeth in the future. If you notice any blood in the area where the tooth fell out, apply a small amount of pressure with a sterile cloth to control the bleeding. Then contact our office. We’ll schedule an appointment for you to come in for an exam and a follow-up consultation.
If you’re wondering how to handle a toothache, you’re not alone. It might be a sharp pain through the nerves, or perhaps a dull, throbbing pain in your gum and jaws. Either way, pain is typically an indicator that there is a deeper underlying issue that one of our dentists will have to take care of for you.
If you’re experiencing sharp pain, you can apply a cold compress over the affected area. You can purchase a cold compress, but any frozen solid wrapped in a towel will do in a pinch. This may reduce the pain. If it doesn’t, you can try taking over-the-counter medication meant for pain relief. Two pain relievers that we recommend are Orajel or acetaminophen. They are good choices for treating your pain because they’re fast-acting. And, luckily, they’re also very easy to find because they’re commonly stocked in most pharmacies near you. Orajel is an oral local anesthetic that you can apply directly to the painful area. You can also take acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, which is available in pill form.
Some people experience swelling in the gums, under or near the tooth. It may be a sign of infection. In cases like this, we advise that you apply a cold compress. Then, check your gums for food in or around the tooth. Food that’s lodged between the tooth and gum can cause even more pain and complication, so if there is any food, you should try to cautiously and gently remove it. Do not use anything sharp or pointed. This can cause more severe injuries or complications. Instead, try light flossing or find a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently brush around the area, careful to apply strokes starting at the gumline and going away from the gums.
No matter what the nature of the dental emergency is, one thing is certain. It’s absolutely critical for you to contact a dentist as soon as you can so that you get your treatment in a timely fashion. The quicker you can get your teeth treated by a dental professional, the more likely it is that you’ll prevent any long-term damage. It’s important that you don’t neglect your teeth. Take steps to maintain your dental health.
What can I do to avoid dental emergencies?
Exercising caution is the most effective way to prevent dental emergencies and accidents. We’ve complied a short list of tips to keep you aware of things that can bring harm to your teeth whether they’re your natural teeth or not.
Wear a mouthguard when you’re engaging in physical activities like martial arts or sports. Hard impacts can chip a tooth or cause a fracture, or even make you lose a tooth.
When you’re cutting things like a plastic bag (like chip bags or candy wrappers), don’t use your teeth. You might bite down too hard and damage your enamel.
Be careful when you’re eating things that are hard. Ice cubes or ice chips, hard candy, and popcorn kernels are a few things that have been known to cause dental emergencies.