5 Situations When You Need Emergency Dental Care

What happens when your dental health starts to decline? Let’s be honest. We first try to shake it off until the problem develops into a more complex situation. Then, we get a dental appointment fixed and wait for a few days. Right? But how do you know whether you can wait or not? While in some cases, like a broken tooth, it’s obvious you shouldn’t wait and should seek emergency dental care, there are other dental problems as well that require emergency treatment. What are those situations? Let’s explore them in this blog post!

Emergency Dental Situations

Dental problems can be categorized into two forms: those that can wait and the ones that require immediate treatment. In this section, we’re going to talk about the latter. We’ll explore everything you need to know, including how to identify an emergency and what steps to take in your situation. Let’s get started!

What is a Dental Emergency?

An oral health issue that needs immediate care and cannot wait longer is said to be a dental emergency. If treatment is not provided in time, the situation can result in tooth loss and may develop into a more complicated problem that causes severe pain and leads to infection.

How to Deal With a Dental Emergency?

If you are experiencing a dental emergency, the first thing you need to do is call your dentist right away and ask for instructions. They will guide you on what to do in the moment and what to avoid. If you’re unable to reach your dentist, you should head to the nearest emergency dental clinic.

Common Dental Emergencies

The most common dental emergencies are:

How to Manage Your Dental Emergencies Until You See a Doctor?

Please note that some situations may appear to be dental emergencies but may actually require more immediate medical attention, such as severe soft tissue injuries or damage to the facial bones. In such cases, it is important to seek treatment at the ER immediately. In this blog post, we are solely focusing on common dental emergencies that could lead to tooth loss or infection, which, while serious, are not typically life-threatening and do not require immediate ER care.

Let’s move on to learn how to manage your dental emergencies until you see an emergency dentist:

Severe Toothache

If you are experiencing unbearable pain, here is what you need to do:

Rinse your mouth with lukewarm water. Make sure to do this thoroughly.
Use dental floss; this will eliminate the food particles lodged in your teeth.
If the affected part appears to be swollen, apply a cold compress over it.
Get pain relievers prescribed. Generally, you will be given acetaminophen, naproxen or ibuprofen. Please note that you should not use aspirin or any other painkillers on your gums or teeth because they may burn your gum tissue and cause bleeding.

Badly Cracked Tooth

If your tooth is broken badly, here is what you should do:

Collect all the broken tooth pieces and rinse them gently in tap water.
Should you feel comfortable, you may attempt to reimplant the fragment. But avoid forcing it, as this may exacerbate underlying structural damage.
Rinse the oral cavity with warm saline or water to remove pulp or debris.
After a 10-minute interval, place sterile gauze over the hemorrhagic site and apply continuous pressure to promote clot formation.
Apply a cold compress to deal with pain, bleeding and swelling.
See your dentist asap.

Dental Abscess

A dental abscess of a pimple-like infection around the root of a tooth, or it occurs in the space between teeth or gums. It’s a serious condition that can damage tissues and its surrounding teeth. If not treated timely, the infection can spread to other parts. If you have developed a dental abscess, you should see your dentist immediately and seek the proper treatment, such as a root canal procedure. Meanwhile, you can follow these steps to ease the pain:

Rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of water). You need to perform this several times a day.
Brush your teeth gently and floss carefully around the affected area to prevent further irritation, but be gentle and avoid direct pressure on the abscess.
Avoid hard, hot, or cold foods and drinks.
Avoid squeezing or picking at the abscess.

Knocked out tooth

If a tooth has been fully displaced from its socket, it’s important to act quickly. First, retrieve the tooth and hold it by the crown (the visible upper portion). Gently irrigate the avulsed tooth with sterile saline or clean water. If conditions allow, carefully reinsert the tooth into the alveolar socket with correct anatomical alignment. Do not apply force. If reimplantation isn’t possible, store the tooth in cold milk, saliva, saline solution, or a tooth preservation kit to keep it viable. Then, see your dentist as soon as possible. The best chance for saving the tooth is usually within one hour.

Impacted Wisdom Tooth

If you are suddenly experiencing a lot of pain and there is bleeding in the affected area, it’s a dental emergency. You should seek emergency dental care for a situation like this. Meanwhile, to alleviate pain and stop bleeding, you can apply ice packs or use a warm salt water rinse. For uncontrollable bleeding, you can bite down on a gauze for at least 30 minutes.

Not Certain Whether You are Experiencing a Dental Emergency? Here Is What You Should Do!

Sometimes it becomes hard to figure out whether the situation you are dealing with is a dental emergency or not. The last thing you want is to panic over a situation that might not need immediate attention, but on the other hand, ignoring a real emergency can lead to bigger problems down the road.

So, how do you know if it’s time to call your dentist or seek emergency care? Don’t worry. Here’s a simple guide to help you figure it out.

Suppose your pain is severe, constant, or throbbing. And this is especially happening after an injury or trauma; it’s likely an emergency. On the other hand, mild discomfort from a minor cavity might not need immediate care.
If you notice any obvious damage, like a chipped tooth, a loose crown, or a filling that’s fallen out, this could be an emergency depending on the severity. Even if it’s not causing pain, it’s essential to have it examined to prevent further complications, such as infection.
Bleeding that doesn’t stop, especially after an injury, could also be a sign that you need urgent care.
If you’re noticing signs of an infection, such as a fever, a bad taste in your mouth, or pus around a tooth or gum, this is an emergency that requires immediate treatment. Infections can spread quickly, and timely intervention can prevent more severe health issues.

Bottomline

When in doubt, always trust your instincts. If you feel something might be wrong, it’s better to contact your dentist or visit an emergency dental clinic to get peace of mind. In situations like these, emergency dental clinics can truly be a lifeline. They are readily available and trained to handle urgent dental needs with care. At Emergency Dental 365, we are committed to making emergency dental care accessible to everyone. We are open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you are facing any of the dental emergencies discussed in this blog post, feel free to reach out to us.