Many people have their own definition of what a dental emergency actually is. While some people have a high pain threshold and can put off a problem, others cannot. Here are some potential problems that could be a dental emergency.
Chipped or Broken Teeth
If you noticed one of your teeth has become chipped or broken, it may not be painful at all to you, while it could be causing pain to someone else in the same situation. Let the pain be your guide if you need to seek out an emergency dentist. If you are not experiencing pain, seek out a dentist very soon to have the tooth repaired. Exposed teeth can lead to decay, which can turn into a much bigger problem that will certainly be painful if ignored, so do not wait until your next semi-annual visit.
Loose Teeth
Did you bite on something hard, and now you have a tooth that is loose? Once again, this requires immediate attention when the tooth is painful. Try to push your tooth into its socket, then seek out an emergency dentist to deal with the pain and fix the problem. If it can wait until the next day, schedule a visit with your regular dentist to have the tooth looked at.
Knocked Out Teeth
If you have completely lost a tooth, usually due to trauma to the face, it is possible to save the tooth. This is a real dental emergency that is worth going to an emergency dentist for. You'll want to try to find the tooth, and grab the tooth by its crown, not the root. Rinse it off with saliva rather than water, and put it in a cup of milk or your own saliva to keep it moist. You can also put the tooth back into your mouth and hold it against your cheek to achieve the save effect. It is possible for a dentist to save the tooth and put it back into your gums.
Infected Teeth
Pain can easily cause infected teeth to quickly turn into an emergency. You may be experiencing extreme throbbing or sharp pain in the area of where a tooth is, and have no idea what is causing it. To help relieve the pain, apply a cold pack rather than heat.
When in doubt, know that you can always contact an emergency dentist, describe the problem, and ask if it is worth seeking immediate attention to fix.
Share4 August 2018
The average dentist takes many client appointments each day and also deals with emergency situations on a regular basis. Dental emergencies are very common because people are likely to put off having tooth pain fixed until the pain becomes unbearable. Some people have anxiety about dental visits, and others are trying to avoid the expense of dental care. In either case, the end result is often a dental emergency. I have worked as a professional dental hygienist for many years and have seen all types of dental emergencies. I hope that this blog will help people identify potential emergencies before they become too serious and will allow people to know when to get help.
