Experiencing severe pain and other dental needs outside the normal office hours mean you might be dealing with what is considered a dental emergency. During these situations, you are most likely to be needing an emergency dentist. In this article, The Woonona Dentists team near Wollongong have shared valuable information about dental emergencies as well as tips on how you should deal with it.
Recognising Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies are common and often easy to identify. Since not all dental situation will require immediate attention, it is necessary to ask yourself the following before taking a trip to the ER or an emergency dentist:
- Are you experiencing severe pain? Having intense pain can be a sign of a dental emergency.
- Did you lose your tooth? Immediate treatment can help save your tooth.
- Are your teeth at risk falling off? Adults should not have a loose tooth. Regardless of its pain level, having loose teeth can be a serious indication of an underlying problem.
- Are you having an oral infection? The most noticeable sign of oral infection is swelling within your gum area, jaws, or around your face. When this happens, treatment should not wait as this situation can be life-threatening.
- Are you bleeding out from your mouth? Continuous bleeding can be a potential sign of a dental emergency.
Aside from the abovementioned, any dental experiences that you think would require immediate attention should be considered as dental emergencies. It specifically applies to instances that could be life-threatening and cannot wait until the next day to be managed. When this occurs, you should immediately give a call to an emergency dentist and describe your situation.
Most Common Dental Emergencies
In here, we have listed some caring tips and advice for each dental emergency that you need to know until you get to your emergency dentist.
Knocked-out teeth
If your teeth have been knocked out, a quick trip to your emergency dentist can help preserve your teeth and increase the chances of reinserting it. You can pick up your tooth carefully by its crown and avoid touching the root. You may rinse it clean but be mindful not to scrub it. If the situation permits, you can reinsert the knocked-out tooth in its socket until you reach your dentist, but if you can’t, you may place the tooth on a clean container.
Chipped or cracked teeth
If the pain is severe and you feel a serious fracture on your teeth, you can slightly alleviate the pain with warm water. You may also use a cold compress and press it against the swelling area. Please avoid the use of painkillers or numbing gels as it can pose critical damage into your gum area.
Abscesses
A dental abscess is one of the most severe and life-threatening dental condition which is caused by infection, typically in the form of pockets of pus within the tooth area. According to these experts, having an abscessed tooth can cause fever, toothache, and the presence of lymph nodes on your neck. You may also notice inflammation and swelling in the face, as well as pimple-like bumps near the infected area.
If you have a dental abscess, you may rinse with salt water to reduce pain. However, you should seek help immediately as the infection can spread to its surrounding area over time.
What to Do Next
After experiencing a dental emergency, your dentist will explain the reasons and causes why the problem happened. Usually, emergencies like this can be prevented by keeping a proactive oral practice.
It is important to maintain routine check-ups so that your dentist can address potential oral concerns and prepare an immediate treatment plan as early as possible, to prevent the development of a dental emergency. It is also necessary to follow aftercare instructions from your dentist to avoid risks and decrease the chances of having another episode of a dental emergency. Most importantly, having a personal motivation to maintain comprehensive oral hygiene can greatly keep your worries at bay.
You can also try to visit MLD’s clinic in Leichhardt, NSW if you’re looking for a family-friendly dental clinic in the Sydney area.