What Is Considered A Dental Emergency That Requires Urgent Care?
Severe tooth pain, abscess, knocked-out tooth, broken tooth, and bleeding are a few conditions that require urgent care. However, you can visit a dentist whenever you experience tooth pain or discomfort. The pain might be mild, but it will worsen and can cause permanent damage to your gum, leading to tooth decay. Hence, you should address all dental issues to maintain oral health and prevent expensive treatments.
Some gum and teeth injuries can be serious and lead to severe complications. If the pain is unbearable and the bleeding is constant, it will require urgent care. Any delay will make treatment complex, and you will suffer more. Worse can happen, and you might lose your teeth. You can go through the following to know what a dental emergency is. You can take immediate action when you experience any of the conditions mentioned below.
WHAT IS A DENTAL EMERGENCY?
Emergency means some dental conditions that demand immediate attention. However, most dental issues are mild and resolve within a few days with home care. For example, mild gum swelling can resolve without medical intervention. The same is for mild pain and discomfort. You can maintain oral hygiene and have a calcium-rich diet to avoid most dental problems. However, when any injury is severe or consistent, medical intervention is a must.
Once you visit your dentist, the medical professional will examine your teeth and decide on further procedures. Some dentists have emergency facilities you can consider visiting when you need urgent care.
WHICH DENTAL CONDITIONS REQUIRE URGENT CARE
If the pain is more and the damage is beyond your control, it requires urgent care. For example, you had some unfortunate incident that caused severe bleeding. You will have to take immediate care. You can consider urgent attention when you have a broken tooth. Similarly, a painful abscess will require the intervention of your dentist. You will know when you must visit a dentist. Pain and discomfort are the symptoms you should look for to get much-needed care. You should never ignore these symptoms since infections can spread, leading to irreparable loss. However, here are some conditions that require urgent care.
KNOCKED-OUT TEETH
Knocked-out teeth can cause severe pain and discomfort. Once you have this condition, you can take warm water to rinse your mouth. The process will remove the blood and prevent infection. However, you must avoid touching that area and removing any tissue fragments. Visit your dentist immediately since any delay will cause more damage, especially when it has an infection. You should not try to fix the tooth to the socket. Visit a dentist at the earliest possible and let the professionals fix the condition. Your dentist will reinsert the knocked-out tooth within an hour if repairable. You should never ignore this condition since you might lose your tooth without immediate care.
SEVERE TOOTHACHE
Toothache can cause a lot of discomforts and impact the quality of your life. If you have this condition, you can take warm water to clean your mouth. You can also consider dental floss to clean the impacted tooth and lodged food. You can use a cold compress when you have swelling. Apply it to the cheek and outside of the affected area. You can take some painkillers to get immediate relief. However, visit your dentist when the pain is severe and not responding to self-care. There might be some infections that your dentist will treat with antibiotics or other treatments. Immediate care will prevent further damage, and you can expect a fast recovery.
CRACKED TEETH
Cracked teeth will require urgent care to minimize the damage. First, you will have to rinse your mouth with warm water. Also, save the broken pieces of your teeth. You can use a gauge for ten minutes to stop bleeding. You can use a cold compress outside the affected area for the pain. Now, you can visit a dentist to check the extent of damage and decide on the treatment. The dentist will examine your teeth and plan the treatment depending on the severity of the injury. However, you can expect the best care when visiting a reliable dentist.
PARTIALLY DISLODGED TOOTH
You must see an experienced dentist when you have a partially dislodged tooth. Also, you can use a cold compress outside the affected area and on the cheek for pain and discomfort. You can also consider taking an over-the-counter pain reliever. But visit your dentist immediately to plan further treatment and recover fast.
DENTAL ABSCESS
Dental abscesses will require urgent care to reduce pain and ensure complete recovery. The cyst is a pimple-like infection that you can see around the root of your tooth. It might also come between teeth and gums. It is a severe condition that will impact the surrounding tissue and teeth. Some ignore a tooth abscess and spend more on treatment when it becomes more painful. An untreated abscess can cause facial swelling, and the infection might spread to other parts of your body. You can rinse your mouth with salt water, but visit your dentist immediately to treat the condition. You might need some antibiotics for complete recovery.
DISPLACED DENTAL RESTORATIONS
Some will have dental restorations to restore the functionality of the damaged teeth. However, your dental restoration can become dislodged or fall out. If it happens, visit your dentist to fix it and avoid further expenses. An experienced dentist can put it back in its place. Medical professionals know how to fix it and which procedure can help with the best solution. You should avoid following home remedies since they can even worsen the condition. Some use denture adhesives or dental cement to put the restoration back in place. However, these are not safe and might cause more damage.
BLEEDING
You can have consistent bleeding when the soft tissues of your gums or lips get injured. Rinse your mouth with mild salt water to stop bleeding. You can also use a tea bag for the same purpose. However, visit your dentist, treat your injuries, and prevent infection.
Take urgent dental care whenever needed and avoid severe conditions and expensive treatments.