Getting the correct dental care at the right time is crucial for efficiently and thoroughly treating a dental emergency. This will not only alleviate your dental ailment and its symptoms but it will also prevent further complications in your mouth and elsewhere in your body. How familiar are you with typical dental emergencies, and do you know what to do if one occurs? Avoiding permanent damage and restoring dental health with prompt, appropriate first aid is possible.
Common Dental Emergencies
1. Toothache
Experiencing pain is never a good indication, and there are several potential causes, including tooth decay. Although some toothaches can be treated at home, others, especially if accompanied by symptoms such as swelling, require immediate medical attention. Aspirin and other pain relievers should be avoided because they can burn the gum tissue if they come into touch with it.
Try putting an ice pack on the outside of your cheek and calling a dentist instead. Your emergency dental care will emphasize the need to maintain good oral hygiene after your treatment to avoid future cavities, tooth decay, and more serious dental issues.
2. Teeth that are damaged or chipped
Did you chew too vigorously on something? A broken or chipped tooth can be painful and damage your smile. Please use warm water to rinse your mouth and a gauze pad to staunch the bleeding. The pain and swelling caused by a broken or chipped tooth can be alleviated by placing a cold compress on the affected face area. While getting emergency dental care, your emergency dental care will tell you to avoid activities like playing contact sports and biting down on hard and chewy foods.
3. Tooth knocked out
Similarly, if a tooth is fractured or chipped, you should take it up by the crown (the visible area in the mouth) and only rinse the root if it is dirty. If you can help it, resist the urge to brush away any remnants of connected tissue. Depending on the severity of the damage, you may be able to re-implant the tooth, but you should take care not to force it.
The sooner you can accomplish this, within an hour at the very latest, the more chance you have of salvaging a knocked-out tooth and putting it back where it belongs. Place the tooth in milk or water with a pinch of salt if you can’t place it back in its socket. The tooth can be restored in an emergency at our Point Lomadental office.
4. Misplaced crown or filling
Crowns and fillings repair broken teeth so they look and function like natural teeth again. Prompt medical attention is required when they rupture to avoid further injury or reinfection. While you wait for emergency dental care, try this quick cure.
Do not attempt to repair the tooth yourself; instead, insert a piece of sugar-free gum into the hole. If you need to reapply for the restoration or get a new crown, store it in a sealed plastic bag and take it to the dentist’s office.
5. Dental misalignment
Brackets and wires are made of metal so that they can resist the normal wear and tear of chewing, eating, and speaking. But even then, they may crack or protrude, causing discomfort in the gums and cheeks. This is not only unpleasant, but it also has the potential to halt or even undo the straightening and alignment of teeth.
To fix a broken wire, simply push it into a more convenient location. If this isn’t an option, use orthodontic wax, a cotton swab, or gauze to cover the protruding end. Don’t try to get around swallowing by cutting the wire, no matter how annoying it is.
6. Abscess
When an infection occurs in the mouth, it can spread quickly and cause a lot of pain. If left untreated, they can spread to other parts of the body and the teeth and gums nearby. Can’t tell if you have an abscess or not. Look for a painful, swollen area on your gums that resembles a pimple.
If you’re experiencing oral pain, don’t wait to call our Toronto dental office for emergency care. Try rinsing your mouth with a saltwater solution and placing an ice pack on the swollen area for temporary relief.
7. Extraction pain and bleeding
Some discomfort and bleeding after a dental procedure are to be expected, but if they last for more than an hour, you should contact your emergency dental care. Maintain pressure on the extraction site by biting down on a large gauze pad while you wait. Before reading this, don’t chew gum, spit up food, or light a cigarette.
The Importance of Preventive Dentistry
Although it may be more expensive initially, preventing an issue from occurring in the first place almost always pays off. An example is the time and money saved by avoiding a dental crown owing to a big filling that could have been avoided with regular cleanings instead of only one every six months.
Putting off preventative maintenance can lead to astronomical costs down the road. However, some people don’t prioritize emergency dental care because they believe it’s out of their price range. Because we value our patient’s health above all else, Dental Express accepts various payment methods. With convenient financing alternatives, you may avoid a costly dental emergency and immediately get the care you need.
