Although proper dental care could help keep them under control, oral and dental emergencies can occur to anyone at any time of the day. You will likely require emergency dental services when that happens. But what dental issues are considered a dental emergency?
Knowing the difference between a non-emergency and an emergency dental issue could mean the difference between losing your tooth and saving it. For example, a knocked-out tooth will require treatment by an emergency dentist without delay, even if the accident occurred during work hours. This issue can worsen if left untreated, leading to severe and costly health issues.
Speaking to a dentist when you experience an emergency dental issue is the key. Once you contact an emergency dentist, he/she will guide you on the steps to protect your gums and teeth while you wait for your dental appointment.
If you are unsure whether you have an emergency dental issue, this article aims to explain what a dental emergency is and the available treatments for these issues.
What is a Dental Emergency?
Dental emergencies are more prevalent than you can imagine. According to the American Family Physician, twenty-two (22) percent of the population has experienced dental and oral health issues in the last six (6) months. However, not every dental issue qualifies as a dental emergency. Your dental issue could be an emergency if:
- You have a wobbly or loose tooth.
- Your tooth is knocked out.
- You are experiencing bothersome pain.
- You are bleeding from the tooth.
Generally speaking, you have a dental emergency if you require immediate medical treatment to alleviate bothersome pain, avoid tooth loss, or control bleeding. Any life-threatening dental infection also qualifies as an emergency dental issue.
If you have detected any of the abovementioned symptoms, it will help to contact a dentist immediately to examine the root cause of the issue and determine the appropriate treatment. If you want to know whether your dental issue requires immediate medical attention, it is crucial to understand what does not qualify as a dental emergency.
You can delay your appointment to see a dentist within regular work hours for non-emergency dental issues, like a minor chipped tooth, missing filling, or crown.
Common Dental Emergencies You Ought to Know
Below are examples of common dental emergencies and how you can handle each of them before your appointment with your emergency dentist:
Severe Toothache
Often, a toothache could be because of a food particle stuck or lodged between your teeth. However, if the pain is not subsiding, you should talk to a dentist to schedule an emergency dental appointment. If your toothache is severe, it could be a sign of a cavity or a severe crack that extends to the tooth's pulp chamber.
Avoid taking common pain remedies like aspirin because they can burn gum tissue. Instead, do the following:
- Use ice wrapped on a cloth to compress your cheek around the affected area.
- Use over-the-counter medications (OTC) like ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen.
- Schedule an emergency dental appointment.
The treatment procedure your dentist will recommend if you are experiencing severe toothache will depend on the underlying cause of the problem. If your bothersome toothache is due to a cavity, your dentist can restore it using a silver amalgam, porcelain, or composite resin. After restoration, your dentist could recommend wearing a dental crown to strengthen and protect this tooth from further damage.
Knocked Out Tooth
If you have a knocked-out or avulsed tooth, it is natural to panic, particularly if it is a front tooth (incisors). Aside from being a cosmetic issue, a knocked-out tooth can make the remaining healthy teeth shift out of position. Fortunately, scheduling an emergency appointment with your dentist could help save the tooth and prevent these problems.
As you wait for your appointment with your dentist, you should do the following to increase your chances of saving the tooth:
- Clean the tooth using running water, but do not touch or scrub its roots.
- Reinsert the knocked-out tooth into its socket, but if that is impossible, you should submerge the tooth into a clean container filled with milk to help maintain its PH level and living elements.
- Schedule an emergency appointment with your dentist.
Even if you are not experiencing any symptoms of an avulsed tooth, you should ensure the area is free from food debris, which could cause infection. If the dentist cannot restore your tooth because of the severity of the injury, he/she could recommend the placement of a dental implant in the left gap to act as tooth roots for an artificial tooth (crown).
Depending on your dental hygiene habits, a dental crown could last between five (5) to fifteen (15) years.
Cracked or Fractured Tooth
When thinking about or talking about dental emergencies, a fractured or cracked tooth hardly comes to mind. While a minor tooth chip or fracture is not a dental emergency, if the fracture extends to the inner part of the tooth, the problem becomes an emergency, necessitating quick treatment. While waiting for your dental appointment with your emergency dentist, remember to:
- Rinse or wash your mouth using saline or warm, salty water to prevent bacterial infection.
- Apply a few ice cubes wrapped in a soft cloth to the cheek around the affected tooth to alleviate pain and reduce swelling.
- Use OTC medications ibuprofen to alleviate pain.
Your emergency dentist will require X-ray pictures of the affected tooth to examine the extent of the fracture and determine the appropriate treatment. If the tooth's pulp chamber is compromised or infected, root canal therapy could be vital to remove the compromised pulp and prevent further infection and bothersome pain. During root canal therapy, the dentist will:
- Remove the compromised pulp.
- Clean, disinfect and smoothen the surfaces of the canal (hollow part of your tooth), which could create a suitable environment for bacteria to multiply.
- Place a filling to seal the canal and prevent bacterial re-invention.
- If necessary, your dentist could recommend wearing a crown to strengthen and support this tooth.
Dental Abscess
A dental abscess is another common issue that could necessitate an emergency dental appointment. A dental abscess is a pimple-like or swollen area that occurs mainly between the spaces between your gums and teeth and around the tooth's root. When left unchecked, a dental abscess can cause infection to the surrounding healthy teeth, gums, and the rest of the body, including the heart.
If you notice the following symptoms and signs, there are chances that you have a gum or dental abscess requiring immediate medical attention:
- A bad taste or foul smell in your mouth.
- Intense toothache.
- A swollen jaw or face.
- Difficulty chewing or opening the mouth.
- Redness inside your mouth.
Depending on the extent of the infection that caused the abscess, your dentist could recommend any of the following treatment procedures:
- Deep teeth cleaning – Also commonly known as "scaling and root planing," deep teeth cleaning involves the removal of plaque build-up on the surface of your tooth and below your gum line, which is the primary cause of dental abscesses.
- Root canal therapy – If the pulp chamber is infected, root canal therapy could be a viable solution to stop the progression of the infection and reduce the above symptoms.
- Extraction – If root canal therapy cannot save the tooth because the tooth roots are damaged, the dentist will have to extract or remove the tooth to stop the problem permanently.
After booking an emergency appointment with your dentist, you should do the following to increase the chances of treating the infection and saving the affected tooth:
- Use antibacterial mouthwash or saline water to rinse your mouth several times a day.
- Apply ice to your cheeks on the affected side of your mouth to alleviate any painful symptoms caused by the infection.
- Avoid hot drinks or foods.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid damaging the infected area.
Serious Soft Tissue Injury
An injury to any soft tissue of your mouth, including the gums, cheeks, lips, and tongue, can cause severe bleeding, necessitating an emergency appointment with your dentist. While waiting for an appointment with your dentist, you can do the following to reduce the bleeding:
- Wash your mouth with antibacterial mouthwash or mild saline warm water.
- Use a piece of gauze to exert pressure on the injured site for about fifteen (15) minutes.
- To alleviate pain and control the bleeding, apply ice packs wrapped in a soft cloth to your cheek around the injured site for about ten (10) minutes.
- When the bleeding persists, see a dentist immediately or go to the emergency room at the nearest hospital. The emergency room staff can help reduce the swelling and bothersome pain before your appointment with a dentist.
Broken or Lost Dental Restoration
Old dental restorations like fillings can sometimes become dislodged or fall out, leaving your tooth with an open space that can create a breeding ground for bacteria. Before your appointment with your dentist, you can stick a piece of sugarless chewing gum or OTC cement in the open space on your tooth to prevent a bacteria attack.
If you have a lost or broken dental bridge or crown, you should schedule an appointment with a dentist immediately. If possible, you should put the restoration back in place using OTC dental cement or dental adhesive to hold it firmly. Your dentist can repair the broken dental bridge or crown using composite resin to fill the gaps and restore its shape and strength.
However, your dentist will recommend a replacement if you have several chips or one unfixable, extensive chip on your crown.
Broken or Lost Orthodontics
Braces are metal-made, making them strong, but due to the daily wear and tear that occurs when chewing or talking, they can break and stick out, poking your cheeks. Aside from causing discomfort, broken braces can reverse or slow your teeth' alignment process.
If this happens, you can use your finger to push the broken wire into a safer and more comfortable location. However, if this is impossible, it is advisable to cover the ends of the broken braces wire using orthodontic wax or a piece of gauze to avoid injuring the soft tissues of your mouth, like the gums.
People who opt for removable clear aligners or Invisalign instead of metal braces to straighten their teeth must ensure these devices are on their teeth daily, even at night. When you lose or misplace them, you will need a replacement immediately to avoid interfering with your teeth straightening process.
Whether you have broken metal braces or lost your aligners, scheduling an immediate appointment with your dentist is crucial to increasing your chances of achieving the straight smile you deserve.
Persistent Pain and Bleeding After a Tooth Removal or Extraction
After tooth extraction, it is normal to experience slight bleeding and mild pain once the anesthesia wears out. However, if this pain or bleeding persists for over an hour, you should see your dentist as soon as possible because this problem qualifies as a dental emergency. In the meantime, as you wait for your emergency appointment, you can do the following to ease the pain and reduce the bleeding:
- Place a moderate-sized gauze pad over the tooth extraction site and bite on it to apply pressure to the extraction site.
- Rinse your mouth with saline water.
- Apply ice cubes wrapped in cloth on the extraction side to reduce the pain.
- Avoid drinking or eating hot food.
- Avoid smoking.
Bottomline
Dental emergencies are common and can happen to anyone. The only way to avoid dental emergencies is by sticking to healthy dental and oral habits and scheduling regular appointments with your dentist. During routine dental check-ups, your dentist can detect some of these issues before they become problematic, necessitating an emergency dental appointment.
Find an Emergency Dentist Near Me
Early medical intervention is key for an emergency dental or oral health issue. Now that you know what dental issues are considered dental emergencies, you understand the importance of immediate treatment to prevent the situation from worsening.
Luckily, our reliable dentists at Lasting Impressions Dental Spa are available 24/7 to ensure our clients receive the immediate treatment they deserve whenever they have a dental emergency. Call us at 818-751-5100, wherever you are in Encino, to discuss your problem with one of our reputable dentists.
