Important Things to Remember When Seeking Emergency Dental Treatment
Urgent attention is needed for issues like infections in the mouth, damaged or knocked out teeth, and other issues. When you encounter a dental emergency, you need to remember you must contact emergency dentistry for the treatment required rather than ignore the problem altogether.
Regardless of how well you are prepared, dental emergencies can occur unexpectedly. An accident could leave you with a knocked-out tooth or an infection such as tooth decay, or trauma may require you to visit an emergency dentist to seek prompt attention to the issue affecting you.
What Should You Do When Encountering a Dental Emergency?
Reaching an emergency dentist at the earliest should be your goal because prolonging the treatment can aggravate the issue to cause irreversible damage. When you seek treatment from an emergency dentist promptly, he or she will ensure appropriate treatment is provided to prevent additional damage or tooth loss. Emergency dentists aim to preserve as many natural teeth as possible without affecting your oral health.
Why Would You Need Emergency Dental Treatment?
The number one reason you could seek treatment from an emergency dentist in America is playing contact sports without appropriate safeguards to protect your teeth. Accidents can also result in loss of teeth to cause anxiety in the affected individual. Loss of permanent teeth is a concerning problem because it leaves a gap in the mouth to affect the smile or even eating and speaking abilities.
When you have a knocked-out tooth, you must pick up the tooth holding it by the Crown and rinse it without scrubbing the roots. You can place the knocked-out tooth between your cheeks, but if you are fearful of swallowing the same, it would be helpful to put it in a tiny cup of milk and reach out to the nearest emergency dentist within 60 minutes. Time is of critical importance with a knocked-out tooth because the emergency dentist can reattach the tooth back into its socket.
Severe and unexpected toothaches are another reason why many people end up needing emergency treatment. The toothache could result from improper oral hygiene resulting in the development of cavities or even gum disease. Both these conditions can cause excruciating pain to need attention from a dental professional.
When tooth infections are left untreated for an extended period, they can result in a dental abscess. A significant tooth infection like an abscess can settle into your jawbone or the floor of your mouth. In such cases, you may require surgery to eliminate the disease. Issues in the mouth are detected easily during dental examinations performed by your dentist. However, if you have been neglecting dental checkups and exams, you can reconsider your approach and begin visiting your regular dentist without fail.
How to Relieve Dental Pain before Reaching the Emergency Dentist?
If you are unable to contact your regular dentist and need help from an emergency dentist near you, an attempt to contact the dentist by telephone will help you receive advice about any medications you can take until you reach the dental office. You can also consider over-the-counter pain medications for relief. If you contact the emergency dentist, they will prescribe medication to relieve the pain or suggest applying a cold compress to the affected area to reduce swelling. However, it would help if you attempted to reach the dentist’s office at the earliest to ensure he or she can diagnose the issue and offer appropriate treatment as required.
Can Dental Emergencies Be Prevented?
Some types of dental emergencies cannot be prevented, especially if you are not careful about maintaining proper oral hygiene. Adopting precautionary measures when involved in recreational activities or contact sports is another reason some emergencies are difficult to avoid. However, many issues result from improper oral hygiene and can easily be prevented by the following steps:
- Brushing your teeth twice daily for at least two minutes each with fluoride toothpaste.
- Flossing your teeth at least once at any time of the day or night.
- Visiting your dentist without exceptions every six months for examinations to identify if any issues are developing in your mouth.
- Using dental appliances like mouthguards if involved in contact and recreational sports.
- Limiting your intake of sugary foods and beverages that can cause tooth decay and other problems.
As can be seen, most dental emergencies besides accidents can be prevented by following your dentist’s advice and practicing excellent oral hygiene. If you do experience a dental emergency in the form of a knocked-out tooth or an infection, you can undoubtedly contact emergency dentistry clinics for help.