Emergency Dentistry: What To Do In A Dental Emergency

As with all other health complications, emergencies relating to the mouth, gum, or teeth are usually unexpected. Understanding how to manage a dental emergency will assist you in capitalizing on the available time to mitigate the impact fully. One must know who to contact and what to do after an injury to avoid being hesitant when the need arises. Some situations that could arise will be quite apparent and must be addressed urgently.

Other conditions may not be as severe as to warrant the assistance of a dentist shortly. Understanding the differentiation between a dental emergency and a situation that does not necessitate the same reaction is helpful. Let’s get started and get tips on how to avoid dental emergencies from Calallen Dental & Orthodontics.

Types of Dental Emergencies

Toothache

Pain is never a good sign: It may be a sign of several ailments, including tooth decay. While not all toothaches are emergencies that require one to rush to the dentist, some symptoms, such as swelling, need careful attention.
Do not rely on some of the simplest solutions like popping aspirin or taking other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs because touching the affected gums may cause a burning sensation.

Broken or Chipped Teeth

A cracked or fractured tooth can be sensitive to touch or certain temperatures. Rinse the mouth with warm water, then apply gauze to the bleeding location.

Pain and bleeding after Tooth Extraction

It is normal to anticipate minor bleeding and pain after tooth extraction; therefore, you don’t need to be overly concerned. But if it aggravates and lasts long, it becomes a dental emergency. It’s only advisable to consult your dentist to establish whether the occurrence requires action.

Lost filling or crown

Filling and crowns help you regain your previously damaged teeth to their functional and aesthetic best. Hence, if these get damaged, you must seek treatment immediately to prevent further deterioration or reoccurrence.

Abscess

It is important to have regular checkups because infections around the gums and teeth or near the root can be serious. It can also progress to the adjacent gums, teeth, or even other parts of your body. An abscess is like a pimple in one’s gums and is always painful.

When is It Not An Emergency?

There are moments when a person may face severe toothache and even swelling, but these are not classified as dental emergencies. For instance, a minor form of an injury like a bitten lip or a blow to the cheek occurs. In this case, use intense pressure on the affected area to stop any bleeding that may arise.

Apply more pressure for another 15 minutes. If bruising and swelling take place, ensure cold compression is taken. This would not be a dental emergency if teeth are not loose or disrupted and the bleeding stops.

Nevertheless, if you cannot stop the bleeding after applying pressure, you should call a dental emergency line or a hospital emergency room. If you are ever unclear if an injury falls under the emergency classification, it is always helpful to call your dentist’s emergency number to speak with a healthcare provider on the phone. Even if you do not have a family dentist, you might call your local hospital’s emergency department or Calallen Dental & Orthodontics to seek help.

What to do if I am having a dental emergency?

Take A Deep Breath and Remain Calm

First, no matter what happens, one should remain calm in any emergency. Try to remain calm and think before you act. Based on the information obtained from the observations, identify whether it is a simple, moderately complex, or complex dental problem. This is the initial period of relaxation that will assist you in making the right decisions to reconstruct your oral health.

Contact Your Dentist Immediately

Notify your dentist or seek help from an emergency dental care professional as soon as you become aware that you are in a dental emergency. While waiting for further instructions, gently describe the problem and follow them. Almost all dental practices have standard operating procedures for handling emergencies, and they will usually brief you on how to proceed.

Follow First-Aid Measures

Depending on the nature of the emergency, there are some general first-aid measures you can take:

• Toothache or Dental Pain: In emergencies, such as a sudden toothache, you should rinse your mouth with warm water and floss to clean the sensitive piece of the tooth in the problematic area. Aspirin may leave chemical burn marks on the gums and teeth, so avoid getting it on these surfaces. Using over-the-counter pain relievers is a good idea, but you should see a dentist as soon as possible.
• Chipped or Broken Tooth: Symptoms may include chipped or broken teeth, so rinse your mouth with warm water and save all the lost pieces. This should be followed by icing of the affected area so that it may reduce inflammation. If there is any bleeding, do not rub it; gently hold pressure with a clean cloth or gauze. Consult with your dentist for more directions regarding this situation.
• Pain and Bleeding after Tooth Extraction: To minimize the amount of blood that comes out, you can apply a new piece of clean gauze over the affected area. Press the area carefully, using your teeth to apply pressure by biting the pad. After tooth extraction, your dentist will recommend antibacterial and pain-relieving drugs.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Soft tissue lesions, such as lesions in the lips, cheeks, tongue, or gums, can cause bleeding. Spit out the blood and hold a tea bag or clean gauze against the affected area to stop the bleeding for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then rinse with warm salt water. Continue the pressure for 15-20 minutes then if bleeding has not ceased, require professional medical help.
• Knocked Out Tooth: If a tooth is knocked out or a restoration (like a filling or crown) comes loose, it’s important to handle it properly:

When dealing with knocked-out teeth, one should not hold the tooth by the root but by the crown, the visible part of the tooth. You can wash it under running water with milk or saline solution to clean the dirt that might be stuck between the sights. Do not scrub or attempt to remove any tissue fragments with exudates.

It should be kept in a cup of milk or saline solution to maintain moisture level and taken to the dentist promptly. One should not waste time when a tooth has been knocked out and should rush to see the dentist. If a restoration becomes dislodged, it should be kept safely and taken to the dentist. It may be possible for the dentist to reattach it, so it’ll be important to keep the area clean and see the dentist as soon as possible.

Preparation Is Key

General awareness of such situations and how to handle them when they occur plays a vital role in addressing the problem. Do not forget that being composed and leaning on professional help immediately are the key factors of emergency dental care.

Ensure you always have your dental related documents well-organized, and you – Stand ready to respond to any dental emergency. These key steps can help ensure proper dental practice and reduce long-term impacts on your teeth.

Summing It Up

Suffering from a dental problem is never comfortable, but there is hope. You may better prepare yourself for any potential situations and know what to do when they do by paying attention to the advice provided above from professionals in the industry. If you are prepared and have the necessary information, you can handle any dental crisis confidently.