Eight examples of dental emergencies
For many people, going to the dentist is one of their least favourite activities in life, especially if they have to deal with painful toothaches or other dental emergencies. While it’s always best to avoid these emergencies in the first place, it’s important to know what type of dental emergency you’re dealing with, and how quickly you need to contact your dentist or an emergency room.
Here are eight examples of dental emergencies that require immediate medical attention.
1. Toothache
Having a toothache can be extremely painful and is usually indicative of an underlying problem. A toothache can mean that you have an infected or abscessed tooth root. But it could also mean something is wrong with one of your other teeth—or even your jaw joint.
A severe toothache is usually accompanied by swelling of your face, head or neck. If you don’t get treatment for a severe toothache in a timely manner, it can cause serious and potentially dangerous complications such as bacterial infection.
See a dentist immediately to prevent long-term dental issues like tooth decay or even gum disease. Take pain seriously. An untreated dental emergency will likely get worse and costlier to fix as time goes on.
2. Tooth Damage
If you’ve lost a tooth, you know that it can easily be replaced by dental implants or dentures. But if there’s a chance your tooth might be saved by root canal therapy, then go see a dentist immediately. The sooner you begin treatment on your damaged tooth, the more likely you are to keep it. Imagine how much better that would feel than living without one or two teeth! It’s important to go see a dentist immediately if there is any possibility that your tooth could be saved through root canal therapy.
3. Broken or knocked out tooth
If a patient loses a tooth, take them to their dentist immediately for emergency dental care. The sooner you see your dentist, the better chance of saving your natural teeth and preventing infection in your mouth.
You should try to locate your lost tooth if it was knocked out. Rinse the tooth under warm water without scrubbing it. Bring it to your dental appointment in a cup of milk. If possible, we’ll try to save the tooth. Should this not be possible, we will discuss options for replacement. These may include dentures, dental bridges, or dental implants.
Avulsion: Avulsion is when a tooth has been pulled out or knocked out by trauma. If you suspect that your child has suffered an avulsion, they will likely be in pain, their mouth will likely be filled with blood, and they may have difficulty speaking. You need to get your child to a dentist right away if an avulsion occurs—don’t wait. An avulsion requires immediate treatment in order to prevent any complications from arising. In other words, don’t delay treatment for an avulsion because you don’t know how bad it is; it’s better to err on the side of caution.
Call us at 0434 921570 or go directly to an emergency room if you have lost a permanent tooth in an accident and haven’t yet seen a dentist.
4. Dental Abscess
A dental abscess is any infection that has made its way into your gums or jawbone. Although these infections are usually bacterial, they can also be caused by viruses and fungi. The symptoms of a dental abscess can vary depending on where in your mouth it is located, but you’ll most likely experience swelling and extreme pain in an area of your mouth. If left untreated, a dental abscess could spread to other parts of your body and become life-threatening.
5. Broken or loose braces
Broken or loose braces are definitely a dental emergency. In fact, it’s usually recommended that you get to your dentist or orthodontist as soon as possible if your braces have come off or broken (especially if you don’t know why). Typically, dentists can reattach your brace within 24 hours and recommend wearing an elastic retainer for about a week to keep everything in place. If it’s been longer than that since your brace fell off, try not to panic. The rubber band that once connected your two end brackets might still be attached; follow these instructions on how to reconnect them.
6. Gum Bleeding
First and foremost, bleeding from your gums is not normal. If you start noticing blood in your mouth, it’s important to see a dentist as soon as possible. Although a swollen gum can sometimes be something simple like an irritation or an infection, it can also mean that something more serious is going on—like gingivitis, periodontitis, or even cancer. Your dentist will examine you and assess how severe the condition may be before deciding on treatment options. If it is determined that you do have signs of oral cancer, there are treatments available to help get rid of it; however, they typically only work if detected early enough.
7. Lost Filling
A dental filling is a necessary procedure to ensure your teeth are protected and function properly. If you lose a filling, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible; your mouth might be at risk for decay or infection without that protection. It’s also important not to wait until you feel pain from a lost filling—because once you do feel pain, it could be too late. A painless filling may just mean an abscess has started forming under your gums. In other words, get in touch with your dentist ASAP if you lose one of these: dental fillings, composite fillings, white fillings or silver amalgam fillings.
8. Loose Crown
Although it’s not necessarily painful, a loose crown should always be treated as an emergency because it can easily fall out. This can lead to pain and infection if you don’t replace it quickly, which makes finding and fixing loose crowns your top priority. You should also see a dentist for any pain or difficulty chewing—even if you don’t have any signs of infection. A mouthful of broken teeth is another dental emergency that requires immediate medical attention. If one or more of your teeth are cracked or crumbled into many pieces, they need to be extracted immediately to avoid further damage and infection.
Brite Dental Group: your Dentist in Browns Plains
Contact us for Dental Emergencies. Our emphasis is always to provide gentle, dental care. We are a family oriented general dental practice, and our primary focus is on preventing disease and providing happy smiles. We are conveniently located between the Cheesecake shop and L.J Hooker in Browns Plains.