An oral emergency typically refers to an unexpected serious gum or tooth injury. Dental emergencies are unpredictable and can occur to anyone at any moment, anytime. Knowing how to act during dental emergencies can help to prevent severe damage and improve the chances of a successful outcome when you visit an emergency dentist.
Also, knowing how to identify an oral emergency and visiting an emergency dentist at the earliest convenience will prevent complications that can lead to tooth loss.
Steps to Take During a Dental Emergency
Compiled below are steps you should take in different oral emergencies.
- Tooth pain
A simple toothache doesn’t fit to be classified as an oral emergency, but persistent severe tooth pain does, as it’s a clear indication something is wrong. When you have an unexplained severe toothache, schedule an appointment with your dentist. In the meantime, you can rinse your oral cavity with warm water, floss to get rid of stuck food particles, and apply a cold compress if there’s external swelling.
- Chipped tooth
Several factors can contribute to a chipped tooth, including oral trauma, teeth grinding, and teeth misuse, like opening a bottle of beer or chewing on hard things. When you mishandle a chipped tooth, it can easily deteriorate into a broken one. When you chip a tooth, the first action should be geared toward saving the broken pieces. Rinse the broken part and your mouth with warm water.
If there’s bleeding, use a gauze piece to cold compress that area until it stops. Next, give your dentist a call or visit an emergency dentist near you.
- Broken braces
Traditional braces used to straighten misaligned teeth comprise metal brackets cemented to teeth and archwires that constantly put gentle pressure on teeth causing them to shift to the desired position. Sometimes the brace archwire may dislodge, break, or detach from its bracket.
When this happens, try to push the brace wire back using the eraser part of a pencil. If this becomes impossible, use a small gauze or cotton ball to cover the protruding end. Visit a dental office near you as soon as possible.
- Gum bleeding
Gums can bleed because of various factors. It is important to first determine the trigger causing the bleeding before deciding on the next action. You can have bleeding gums due to periodontal disease, oral cancer, or severe gingivitis. In the case of bleeding gums, raise your head upward and avoid touching the bleeding site to prevent the spreading of infection. Book an emergency appointment with a dentist near you offering emergency dentistry.
- Knocked-out teeth
When you, unfortunately, have a tooth knocked out, pick it up without holding the root part, clean it, and try to place it back in. If this fails, soak it in a cup of milk and see our dentist in 30324.
- Lost crown
If you have a dental crown and it accidentally falls off, try to secure it and store it safely until you see an emergency dentist.
The Benefits of Emergency Dentistry
- Restores tooth functionality– In most cases of dental emergencies, the mouth’s function is usually limited or, in severe cases, halted entirely. This can be attributed to significant pain, bleeding, edema, or injured soft tissues. Seeing an emergency dentist will help restore good oral function.
- Lowers the risk of developing infections– An infection in the mouth is a threat to surrounding teeth and oral tissues. It can also spread to other body parts if it goes untreated. Emergency dentists will treat the underlying cause of the infection preventing the risk of infection spreading.
- Helps to prevent dental health problems– Emergency conditions that go untreated can become worse if no action to resolve the problem is taken. This can lead to increasing complexity and severity of the condition hence why it’s important to see an emergency dentist.
Emergency Dentistry Treatment Options
Although it’s impossible to prevent all oral emergencies as they are usually unexpected, there are various emergency dentistry treatments done to restore functionality and appearance of the flawed tooth. Some emergency dentistry procedures available at New Face Dentistry, emergency dentistry in NF Dentistry, include root canal treatment, dental fillings, tooth reattachment, and tooth extraction.
Preventing Dental Emergencies
You can prevent dental emergencies by:
- Practicing good dental care
- Wearing mouthguards during sports
- Making routine visits to our dentist in Atlanta
