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Dealing with Dental Emergencies

You can never completely rule out the possibility of a dental emergency occurring, no matter how thorough you are about your oral cleanliness and preventative practise. All accidents, save the most serious ones, can have their long-term effects reduced with prompt and competent care.

There are numerous things you may do to significantly improve your chances of healing before you even make it to your emergency dentist’s office.

Find out what to do if you have a dental emergency by reading on!

The Initial Moments 

The most frequent reason for dental emergencies is a serious head injury. This may injure the gums, jaw bone, or dental roots in addition to readily chipping or knocking off a tooth. Even while it might not be as obvious, a professional should still be able to see it.

The most crucial thing immediately following an accident is to remain cool, regardless of what transpired. Assessing the damage should come next. Is there any bleeding? Are you or the accident victim unconscious or woozy?

The next step is to look for tooth damage. Verify that the teeth that were most recently hit have not been entirely knocked out or chipped. What you find next dictates the steps you need to take to handle your dental emergency. 

Chipped or Cracked Teeth

A chipped or cracked tooth has nonetheless sustained considerable damage and may need professional attention, although being harder to see than a knocked-out tooth. How quickly you seek out an emergency dentist and how many pieces thereof will have a significant impact on your chances of saving the tooth or preventing additional harm. When a tooth has been chipped (when a corner or a fragment of the tooth has fallen out) try to follow the below mentioned steps: 

  • Find the missing component or components.
  • Rinse them only with water.
  • Simply rinse your mouth with warm water. You will want to avoid using mouthwash or anything additional at this point in time. Check the water you just spat out and see if there are any further, tiny pieces of the tooth.
  • Store the pieces in saliva or milk whilst you make your way to the dentist.

Rinse your mouth with water if the tooth has only a little crack and has not yet shattered. After applying a cold compress to reduce swelling, let your dentist know you experienced a dental emergency. You will still need to be evaluated, and a dental X-ray may be required to asses the extent of the damage. 

No visible damage but the mouth or jaw has been hit

Sharp blows to the mouth or jaw might happen in a fight, sports accident, or car accident. Though the root or your jaw bone were damaged, even if your teeth were not obviously knocked out or shattered, you can still be at risk for issues. If you notice any of these warning signs, call your emergency dentist to be safe.

  • If the discomfort persists despite taking an analgesic (like Advil) or using a cold compress throughout the day.
  • If you experience jaw locking, or if opening your mouth hurts or clicks. 
  • If you start to feel discomfort or sensitivity in your teeth over the coming days.
  • Go to the emergency department right away if you feel dizzy, queasy, or tired, start vomiting, or if one of your pupils is bigger than the other.

Acute or Irregular Toothaches

Acute infections or abscesses are typically the cause of toothaches. Although the pain may have been building up over several days, it is not unusual for it to suddenly come one morning.

If this occurs, consider taking an over-the-counter painkiller. Next, make an urgent appointment request with your dentist. Additionally, go to the emergency hospital if you have a fever, are unable to talk, or discover that your gums are bleeding or have pus (a bad-smelling, yellow or green discharge around them).

 

Missing or broken teeth

When an entire tooth that has been lost or  become loosened as a result of some form of significant impact  it is referred to as being “knocked off.” Reattaching the tooth may be possible depending on the sort of injury, however doing so requires seeking emergency dental care. Quick action and any of the following will boost your chances of saving the tooth. Firstly, try and locate the missing tooth as soon as you can. Till the tooth is discovered, try to refrain from swallowing any saliva. Secondly, never hold a tooth by the root; always by the crown, this is the part that often chews food. Next, try to rinse the tooth in clean water without any mouthwash, toothpaste, or other chemicals. This is because, as of right now, protecting the tooth’s thinner and more delicate areas should come before any attempt to brush the teeth. Lastly, try to put the tooth back in its socket if you can while travelling to the facility for your dental emergency. As a result, the neighbouring teeth won’t slide either. If any kind of bleeding or swelling prevents you from doing this, the next best option is to put it in a glass of milk.

There will always be dental emergencies for any and everyone. It is best to have a trusted family dentist who can manage these situations whenever possible because he or she is in the best position to fully evaluate the damage. Take no chances, though, if your teeth have sustained obvious damage after business hours; prompt treatment is your best choice if you want to save 

the tooth.

Get in touch with us if your experiencing any of the symptoms we have spoken about or even if you have a dental emergency! 

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