Types of Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies can often happen unexpectedly, but they can become uncomfortable quite quickly. That is why it is important to act quickly if you are experiencing a dental emergency. In order to know when immediate care is crucial, it is important to become familiar with the most common dental emergencies.
Toothache
Toothaches are never pleasant and they can be a sign that something is seriously wrong in your mouth. If you have a toothache, you may experience extreme pain and your mouth may feel very uncomfortable. In the elderly, as well as small children, it may be difficult for them to eat when they have a toothache. Some toothaches can be temporarily managed with simple home remedies, while others require emergency treatment to get them under control. Avoid taking unprescribed painkillers when responding to a toothache. Instead, gently cold compress the tooth from outside of the cheek to minimize the pain and then call your dentist for emergency treatment.
Broken Braces
Even though braces are designed to withstand your daily mouth activities, situations can arise where they become uncomfortable or even broken. When broken, your braces may stick out of your mouth or poke uncomfortably into your cheek. It can also reverse or slow the process of realigning your teeth when your braces are broken.
Lost Crown or Filling
A tooth crown is put on your tooth to restore it to its former state for aesthetics and optimum functioning of the tooth. However, the filling can break, further damaging your teeth. In extreme cases, this can lead to infection. Therefore, you need to get your crown back when it gets lost to avoid getting an infected tooth. To fix a lost crown or filling, you will need to make an appointment with your dentist.
Broken Tooth
A broken tooth can occur when you bite something hard with a lot of force. It can be extremely painful. Like in toothaches, avoid taking painkillers for a broken tooth until you have consulted a healthcare professional. Instead, put gauze on the broken tooth to minimize bleeding and rub the tooth from the outside using a cold compress. Call your dentist for emergency treatment for your broken tooth.
Abscess
An abscess is a mouth infection that adversely affects spaces between gums, teeth and a tooth’s root. When left unchecked, an abscess can spread all over the mouth and potentially lead to serious infection throughout the body. In the gums, it manifests as a swollen, pimple-like area with immense pain.
Dental emergencies are sudden and unexpected. Hardly ever do people know how to respond to them. However, by knowing the different types of dental emergencies, you can prepare yourself to respond to them without damaging your oral health further.
While taking painkillers is the instinctive thing to do, always consult a dentist before taking any pain relievers. It is best to use home solutions to relieve pain and stop bleeding, then call a dentist for dental emergency treatment. River Valley Smile Center is always ready to help with your dental emergencies. Call us at 479.646.0706 to speak to our experienced dentists today, or visit our website to learn more. Check us out on Facebook to stay up to date on our most recent blog posts.
