Dental emergencies can happen to anyone and can occur when you least expect it. As you might know, dental treatments can vary and sometimes they can be very expensive, so it is important to treat these issues as soon as possible. If your dental health issues are not handled properly they can result in pain and permanent damage to your general health.
Sometimes it can be difficult to reach a dentist, depending on when the emergency happens. While some clinics offer 24-hour service, most of them don’t. However, in this blog post, we will mention some actions you can take to prevent and treat dental emergencies when seeing a dentist is not possible, this can help prevent complications and can even save a tooth.
Sometimes dental emergencies are hard to diagnose, and it can be difficult to tell if you need immediate care or if you can wait until you can see your dentist. For instance, you could have a tooth that is painlessly cracked and needs immediate care but can wait a few days until you see your normal dentist while in other cases when the pain becomes severe immediate care by a specialist will be needed.
Minor toothache can also happen and most of the time you can use dental floss to remove any leftover foods stuck. In cases where you notice swelling and soreness, you can try using ice packs to relieve the pain. Another issue that requires prompt attention from a dental expert is missing fillings or crowns. Even though it is important to treat them as soon as possible they are still not considered a dental emergency. You can fill them with sugar-free gum or glue them until you go to the dentist to replace them. In cases where you injure your mouth and there is bleeding you may want to rinse your mouth with salt water to remove any bacteria or food particles and use a wet gauze or teabag to stop the bleeding by applying pressure on the area.
You should keep in mind that some dental problems will not need immediate care and are not considered dental emergencies. Most dental clinics offer emergency care and some of them can even be available to treat their patients even on weekends. If you are having a dental emergency look for clinics that provide dental care in cases of emergency.
Some tooth problems can result in life-threatening conditions so in these cases dental emergency care is needed. Problems like dental abscess near your tooth root for example will need immediate attention from the dentist as it can lead to serious medical issues. This condition is an indicator of diseased dental pulp and root canal treatment will be needed. In these cases, the dentist will drain the infection and that will make the swelling on your face go down and relieve the pain and fever. Furthermore, they will provide the right antibiotics to alleviate the discomfort and pain. To prevent the infection from spreading and causing further damage the dentist will recommend a root canal treatment or tooth extraction procedure.
Sometimes teeth can be damaged by accidents causing them to break or chip. In some of these cases, dental emergency service can be required. In cases when the tooth has fallen and you might be able to collect it, try to keep it clean but be careful not to crumble the roots because you might damage the soft tissues connected to it. If it is possible try to connect the tooth to its place without forcing it, but if you cannot do so place it into a milk container to preserve it and go to the dentist as soon as possible. If you can go there in half an hour, it will be for the best. The dentist will be able to save the tooth by splinting it to the adjacent teeth to allow the roots to reattach. If you cannot visit the dentist at the time the tooth will be lost, extra care and a replacement will be needed.
However, keep in mind that not every dental emergency will need to be treated by a dentist and most of these dental problems can wait for a couple of days. Most of the time when the problem and pain are severe the dentist will find time to accommodate their patients and will not leave them waiting because they know these issues don’t come with a warning and can happen without notice. If your regular dentist is closed you may also try another dentist until the problem is fixed before leading to further damage.
Studies show that dental pain and severe toothache can be an indication of an active infection and this infection if not treated can spread to other regions of the body including the brain and ear, making it very dangerous. Here we will mention some advice on what you can do if you cannot visit the dentist immediately.
The use of ice packs can be helpful to reduce toothache. You should use it for 20 minutes and then remove it. Do this as much as you want if it helps with the discomfort. Otherwise, you can use painkiller medication or anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID)—either ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) to relieve the pain. This will help manage the pain until you can reach the doctor.
If the dental emergency happens at a time where a dental visit is not possible you should consider going to the hospital emergency center or urgent care to start antibiotics immediately. Along with the toothache symptoms like fever, or swelling under your eye, along your cheek, or under your throat can be possible. After the antibiotics, we suggest you go to the dentist for further treatment.
Sometimes you can experience pain if something gets stuck between your teeth. You should keep in mind to be gentle and try removing the object by regular flossing or brushing. Do not use force while doing so as you may move the object further and it will cause more pain.
If the broken filling is not causing any pain and it is not irritating your mouth and cheeks you should not touch it until you see your dentist, as he will take proper care of it. Even if it is not causing any pain you should schedule a visit with your dentist as soon as you can because the further you leave it the worse it will get and it might be more difficult to treat it.
If you lose a filling, temporary filling materials are available in the dental departments of most supermarkets and drugstores and they can be used for a brief amount of time to cover the fractured region if the injured tooth is causing discomfort and pain.
Sometimes you may have a dental emergency while traveling and if you have dentures you should not try to fix the problem by yourself as it can get worse. Try and find a dentist nearby that may glue the teeth back or repair minimal damages, then when you get back home you check with your dentist for further treatment. If the broken dentures are causing harm and irritation, do not consume hard and sticky foods as it can cause more discomfort in your mouth.
If you lose a filling you may want to fill the space with over-the-counter glue used in dental emergencies or with sugar-free gum. If the crown or filling slips off try additional methods until you can reach your dentist. He will then fix the issue by using dental glue or replacing the crown if needed.
If you have a broken or chipped tooth, you should try and visit your dentist as soon as possible. Keep in mind that if you can you should collect the pieces of your teeth in order to reattach them to your mouth. Rinse it with water to keep it clean and as we mentioned before if you can hold it in your mouth it would be for the best, if not put it in a container with milk until you see the emergency dentist. If the area is swelled you can use cold compress to keep it down.
Overall, it is a known fact that the best thing to do is go to your dentist, but in some cases it may be best to go to the emergency room especially when bleeding and pain are present, to prevent further damage to your overall health. If there is not a lot of pain present you should explain your situation to the dentist by phone and he will advise you on what further steps to take. Even though it may feel like you need dental care immediately, most dental problems can wait to be treated and don’t need immediate care.
After reading all of this information you may wonder what you can do to prevent these dental emergencies from happening. You should know that frequent dental visits twice a year or more are crucial for your dental health. The key to having a healthy smile is preventing and treating problems at the right time. If you are consistent with your appointments it is less likely that a problem will show up and even if it happens it will be diagnosed at the right time.
One important thing you should know is that dental problems get worse with time and if you notice any problem you should treat it at the right time. By putting these procedures off you are risking your health. Try to keep up a healthy routine by brushing and flossing twice a day, every day. This will keep the mouth and teeth healthy and strong. Another advice to keep in mind is to be careful with your food. You should minimize the consumption of foods high in sugar and acid and also be careful when eating tough and chewy foods. By taking care of your oral health in the right way you will prevent any possible damage and dental emergencies are less likely to happen.
