What Are the Most Common Dental Emergencies?

Dental emergencies can affect you in various forms, but some are more common than the rest. Tooth decay, a chipped tooth and gum disease are some of the most common dental emergencies needing emergency dental services from dentists providing them. However, Warm Family Dentistry treats many patients arriving at their facility with different dental emergencies arising for various reasons.

Your teeth and gums are not the only areas of your mouth that are prone to emergencies. For example, any issue in your oral cavity causing pain or bleeding is a dental emergency. Therefore you must realize what dental emergencies are and why you must seek prompt treatment for any condition affecting you.

This article provides information on various dental emergencies to make you aware of why you must seek immediate attention from a dental professional and none other to safeguard your dental and overall health.

Types of Dental Emergencies

Toothaches

A toothache is never a good sign because it can indicate various conditions, including tooth decay. Some toothaches are manageable without requiring emergency dental treatment, while others causing swelling in your mouth need urgent dental care. If you are affected by an excruciating toothache, do not consider taking over-the-counter painkillers or aspirin but contact an emergency dental clinic in your vicinity for immediate attention. After providing you with the treatment necessary, the dentist will stress the importance of maintaining acceptable oral hygiene practices to prevent cavities, tooth decay, and other severe dental problems.

Chipped or Broken Tooth

If you bite down on something hard, you might have a chipped or broken tooth ruining your smile and causing pain. If you experience bleeding, rinse your mouth with warm water and use some gauze to prevent bleeding. Apply a cold compress to your cheeks near the broken tooth to reduce swelling. When you visit the emergency dentist, expect to receive advice from the professional about being conscious when biting down on hard and crunchy foods or using your teeth for purposes other than chewing food. Prepare yourself to receive advice on wearing mouth guards if involved in sporting activities also responsible for chipped and broken teeth.

Knocked-out Tooth

Suppose you encounter an accident leaving you with a knocked-out tooth; pick the tooth upholding it by the crown, and rinse it in water without scrubbing the roots. If you can, try to place the tooth into its socket without pushing it in. However, if you can’t use a tiny milk container to store the tooth, head to the emergency dentist as soon as possible if you want the tooth reinserted into its socket. Time is of the essence when managing with a knocked-out tooth. You must reach the dentist’s office within 30 minutes, failing which you might have to consider tooth replacement solutions.

Lost Crowns or Fillings

Crowns and fillings restore damaged teeth, providing them optimal functionality and appearance. Unfortunately, they are prone to damages and often require emergency dental services if you want to prevent any infections from spreading in your mouth. You must visit an emergency dentist to have the feeling or crown restored without trying to fix your tooth for fear of damaging it.

Dental Abscess

Infections near the root of the tooth or the space between the teeth and gums are severe. If left untreated, the infection spreads to the surrounding teeth and gum tissue. Unfortunately, the condition can also spread throughout your body to require help from various medical professionals. If you’re unsure whether you have a dental abscess check your gums for painful swollen spots. Call the emergency dentist right away for treatment to prevent the worsening of the problem. Expect the dentist to drain the abscess, provide antibiotics to control the infection, painkillers to alleviate the discomfort, and recommend you undergo root canal therapy to eradicate the infection from inside your tooth.

Broken Orthodontics

If you are dealing with a problem of broken orthodontics, the wires stick out and poke your cheeks and gums, causing discomfort and slowing down or reversing the aligning process for straightening teeth. You can try pushing the broken wire into a comfortable position. However, if you fail, do not use other DIY methods but contact an emergency dentist to have the problem corrected as soon as possible.

Contact an emergency dentist to safeguard your oral and overall health when dealing with any dental emergency, whether standard or complicated.