Dental emergencies are avoidable. However, some are a result of accidents. Therefore, you should know how to respond to each dental situation that requires emergency care.
Sometimes you might be confused about how you should respond if you have a dental situation since not all are emergencies. This blog aims to enlighten you on the several cases dentists consider to be emergencies and how to respond to each of them.
Knocked-Out Tooth
When your tooth gets knocked out, you are likely to experience pain, discomfort, and bleeding.
In this situation, the first step is to be calm and avoid panicking. Next, call your emergency dentist. If you don’t have one, you can search for “emergency dentist near me.” Google will provide locations and addresses of all the emergency listed around you.
As you prepare to go to the dentist’s clinic, you can try some home-based care measures.
First, pick up the fallen tooth holding the enamel. Clean the tooth without washing away any tissue from the root. If possible, try placing the tooth back into the socket. It is significant to ensure that as you place the tooth into the socket, it is accurate.
If you can’t place the tooth back into the socket, store it in milk or saliva. Ensure you get to the dentist’s office at most an hour after the accident, to save your tooth. Carry the tooth still stored in milk or saliva to your emergency dentist’s office. You can apply a cold compress on the face over the affected area.
Excruciating Pain
Almost every dental emergency presents some degree of pain and discomfort. The degree of pain and discomfort determines how you should handle the situation. In case you feel pain every tie you bite down, it might be a broken tooth or an abscess.
If the pain is severe, you should contact an emergency dentist. In case the pain is minimal, take some pain relievers and visit a dentist in regular office hours. For excruciating pain, place an ice pack over the affected area as you go to the dentist’s office.
Abscesses
Abscesses are like small pimple-like sores on your gums. When you experience such, your gum might be infected. Therefore, you should not ignore the situation. You can respond by calling your dentist and scheduling an appointment for urgent dental care. To reduce the sensation, gurgle using clove oil.
Gum Infections
Gum disease can lead to other fatal general health issues. Therefore, once you experience an infection on your gum, you should contact a dentist since the infection will not disappear without medical care. The first aid for such a situation is rinsing your mouth with warm water.
Bleeding Gums
Once you experience bleeding in your oral cavity, you should not take it lightly. Blood on your dental floss is an early sign of gum disease. Such a situation might not be an emergency, but you still need to go for a check-up.
If you have blood in your saliva, it might be advanced stages of oral cancer or gum disease. Therefore, you should call an emergency dentist immediately. Also, after a surgical dental procedure, you can experience bleeding. You can apply gauze on the socket and a cold compress over the affected area to prevenent excessive bleeding.
Swelling
Swelling can be a result of a severe dental infection. Therefore, you should seek urgent dental care if you have one. In such a case, stay upright and drink a lot of fluids as you visit your emergency dentist.
To prevent some dental emergencies, you should take care of your mouth. Taking care of your mouth involves taking precautional measures and practicing good oral hygiene. Some of the things you can do to improve your oral health include:
Are you in need of emergency dentistry services in Spring, TX? At Dr. Paul Graf DDS dental office, you will receive the urgent care you need at your convenience. Our team comprises of passionate and experienced professionals who will take care of your needs. Please book an appointment with us.