Let’s start this article by considering the question, “what is a dental emergency?” Well, if you’re worried that something has gotten into your mouth and is causing you severe pain, swelling, or bleeding; Then you can consider it an emergency.
It may not be a life-or-death situation, but if you experience immediate discomfort, pain, or embarrassment, it’s important to address it as soon as possible. Here are some dental emergencies you should know about:
Toothache
A toothache can indicate many dental problems, and the cause must be identified so that it can be corrected. The two common causes of a toothache can be a pulp infection and cases when something gets stuck between two teeth.
It’s especially important to see an emergency dentist if the toothache comes on suddenly, gets worse over time, or is severe. However, in the meantime, cold compresses can help ease discomfort.
Chips or Cracks
Chips and cracks occur when you chew hard objects, use your teeth for purposes other than chewing, or sometimes due to accidents.
Also, people who grind or clench their teeth are more likely to have their teeth chipped or cracked. A visit to the emergency dentist is necessary if you have a chipped or cracked tooth.
Another case in which you can get your tooth cracked or chipped is in situations when a child falls, or adults misstep, slip, and trip on the ice.
Adults can be equally devastating to their teeth and mouths. Both adults and children can get involved in fights and other accidents, and as a result, the front of the face can hit a fast-moving hard object.
If you can get to the dentist within 30 minutes and you haven’t handled the damaged surface of the tooth too much, there is a good chance that you can save the tooth by reimplanting it.
The most important point is to place the tooth in a clean handkerchief, preferably moistened with diluted salt water, a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a glass of water will help preserve the living cells on the surface of the tooth.
If it can be avoided, do not pinch the root of the tooth, instead, get proper dental treatment early.
Bleeding
Several situations can cause bleeding inside the mouth. If you have a family or personal history of blood disorders, or if you have high blood pressure, always consult your dentist or dentist before any surgery.
Your dentist may perform laboratory tests and consult with your doctor before surgery. So be very careful with the information you give him/her. It is best to avoid bleeding problems rather than treat them after the fact.
Wisdom Tooth Infection
Wisdom tooth area infections, also known as pericoronitis, usually develop when food or bacteria become trapped under the gum flap. Wisdom teeth are often not fully erupted and the area is difficult to clean.
These partially erupted teeth crumble easily. For immediate pain and perhaps difficulty opening the mouth, begin vigorous irrigation with 3% hydrogen peroxide.
Do this several times within a few hours. For best results, we recommend using full power for 2 minutes. Then rinse with water, if sufficient rinsing is a concern, dilute to 50% with water.
Hold the solution in your mouth for 1 minute and then empty it. If blisters or bubbles form in your mouth, wash them off with water. Call your dentist and get your teeth treated right away.
Missing or Loose Dentures
Both permanent and temporary restorations can loosen or fall off, but this is more likely to happen with temporary restorations. Despite their restorative nature, both require urgent dental care.
For permanent restorations, you must bring the restoration, as for temporary restorations, you may be able to use petroleum jelly, lip balm, or denture adhesive to hold the restoration in place until you see your dentist.
Virus Outbreak With Stomatitis
Another type of infection that seems like an emergency is viral outbreaks in children’s mouths, but it can also occur in adults. The first such attack usually occurs in childhood.
There may be sores all over the mouth, a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and possibly fever, gums may even bleed.
The tongue may become bright red, and you may also have bad breath and swollen lymph nodes.
This often occurs after an upper respiratory tract infection. Such viruses appear most often in spring and autumn, make sure you call your doctor to examine your child and get advice.
Post-Extraction Pain (Dry Socket)
Simple tooth extraction is usually very painless. Wisdom teeth that are affected are either partially or completely embedded in the jawbone and can cause more pain during healing, but the pain usually subsides within a few days after the tooth is extracted.
If a day or more later, whether the procedure is simple or difficult, the pain becomes so severe that it doesn’t seem to be getting better.
This could be pain emanating from an infection. But there are other causes of pain that aren’t infections.
That’s thrombus loss of the socket. Normally, clots must organize and participate in the healing process. When the clot is lost, the bone in the socket is exposed and healing does not occur until the bone lining the socket is eroded and cleared of surrounding bone cells.
This is a slow and painful process, and may not relieve symptoms for up to 2 weeks.
Sudden Pain When Chewing Hard Objects
You may have broken a tooth, and you need to call your dentist immediately. He can look for fractures with x-rays and fiber optic lights.
If the pain persists, a dentist or endodontist should determine if a root canal treatment is needed. Fractures may have sheared enough to leave the nerve unaffected or involve the nerve.
If the fracture is vertical, the tooth may be lost. Only a dentist can provide proper dental care after considering all options.
Examining your lifestyle and relationships to see which areas are creating tension can help. Try to find ways to reduce your tendency to grind your teeth and chew your cheeks.
Soft Tissue Injury
The soft tissues of the mouth include the lips, gums, inner cheeks, and tongue. If any of these structures are damaged, call your emergency dentist and ask where to go, or what to do.
You may need an emergency dentist, or you may need an emergency room visit. Soft tissue injuries such as lacerations, punctures, and lacerations should be flushed with lukewarm water to stop bleeding before applying pressure.
Conclusion
Conclusively, toothache, broken, cracked, loose or missing teeth, soft tissue injuries, and missing dentures are considered dental emergencies. If you or your family members encounter any of these dental emergencies, be sure to see an emergency dentist for emergency dental care.
Although most medical emergencies require a visit to the emergency room, most emergency rooms only refer dental emergencies back to the emergency dentist. Therefore, to avoid time and undue discomfort, contact your nearest emergency dental clinic directly.