The Different Types of Dental Emergencies and How to Respond to Them
Dental emergencies are unique because no two dental situations exhibit similar symptoms. For example, if you have a broken tooth, you cannot respond to it like an injury to the soft tissues of your mouth.
While prevention and excellent dental hygiene are optimal for preserving oral health, knowing what actions to take when a dental emergency strikes help prevent long-term damage. Do you know the most common dental emergencies and how to deal with them? With speedy, immediate response and appropriate first-aid, you can prevent long-term damage and restore good oral health.
Below we describe some common dental emergencies and the responses they need before you seek treatment from the nearby dentist to alleviate pain and discomfort.
Most Common Dental Emergencies
Chipped or Broken Teeth:
Did you bite on some complex foods and feel you have a chipped or broken tooth? The situation doesn’t just ruin your beautiful smile but can also be painful. In such cases, you must rinse your mouth with warm water and use a piece of gauze on the bleeding site. In addition, you can apply a cold compress to the part of your face near the broken or chipped tooth to alleviate swelling and relieve pain. When seeking treatment from the emergency dentist near me, the dentist will emphasize being conscious and biting down on hard and crunchy foods, besides other activities that can cause teeth to chip and break.
Lost Filling or Crowns:
Fillings and crowns help restore teeth damaged earlier back to optimal appearance and functionality. Unfortunately, they can break a need treatment immediately to prevent further damage or infection. You can try a temporary measure while waiting for emergency dental care. Use a piece of sugarless gum into the cavity without trying to fix the tooth because you might damage it. Placing the restoration in a zip-top bag and taking it to the dentist’s clinic to reapply or receive a new dental crown is suggested.
Knocked-out Tooth:
if you manage to knock out your tooth, respond to it by picking it up by the crown, the visible part of the tooth, without holding it by the roots. You can rinse the tooth if dirty without scrubbing the roots and try to place it in its socket if you can. If not, place the tooth in a milk container to keep it moist and head to a dental emergency in Harriston, ON, to reach them within 30 minutes. Your response to the knocked-out tooth will enable the dentist to perform an emergency restoration at the dental clinic.
Dental Abscess:
mouth infections near your tooth roots or in the area between the teeth and gums are severe. When left untreated, it can spread to the surrounding teeth, gum tissue, and the entire body. If you are unaware whether you have a dental abscess, check your gums for painful pimple-like spots. Call the emergency dentist immediately for treatment to prevent aggravated dental problems and general health issues if you notice any. Meanwhile, you can rinse your mouth with a mild water solution and apply ice to any swelling you notice for temporary relief.
Bleeding and Pain after Tooth Removal:
post-operative pain and bleeding after tooth removal are expected. However, if they persist beyond an hour, it is time to contact your dentist for help. Meanwhile, you can place a thick gauze over the tooth removal site applying pressure by biting down on it. In addition, you must avoid rinsing, eating or drinking besides sucking, spitting, and smoking until you reach the dentist and receive treatment.
The Fundamentals of Preventing Dental Emergencies
Most dental emergencies occur due to negligence, except for accidents. Therefore, you can use the preventive techniques below to avoid dental situations requiring help from emergency dentists.
Besides maintaining excellent dental hygiene and getting six monthly dental exams and cleanings, you must use a mouthguard if involved in contact sporting activities. Wear the appliance over your teeth before indulging in sporting activities to protect yourself from dental emergencies.
Your teeth are durable and robust, but you might be surprised at how easily your teeth can chip or crack. Therefore you must avoid hard candy and challenging foods besides refraining from mouth-related habits like chewing fingernails and ice or using your teeth for purposes other than eating.
Despite the preventive measures, dental emergencies can occur when least expected and require help from Girardi Dental, providing immediate treatment upon arrival at their clinic. Therefore, kindly do not hesitate to contact them during dental emergencies after using the responses described to receive appropriate treatment.