Dental Emergency

You brush your teeth at least twice a day. You even floss and gargle with mouthwash every night. Doing so will save you from a myriad of dental problems. However, some instances call for emergency dental procedures. Studies show that people lose around 320 million work or school hours due to dental issues. In addition, around 92 million of those hours involved dental emergencies. Unfortunately, a lot of people still don’t know if their case is an emergency or not. Thus, they tend to delay their visit to the dentist. This equates to more pain and more expenses.

So what are the most common dental emergencies?

Most common Dental Emergencies

Cracked Tooth

There are many different causes for a cracked tooth. Sometimes, you bite something hard like ice, nuts, or bones. When you grind your teeth at night, you are also putting pressure on your teeth. This can also lead to your teeth cracking.

When you hit the age of 50, your teeth naturally weaken.

Regardless of the reason, you need to go to a dentist for proper treatment.

If you cannot drive to the dentist during the moment, you can put some ice packs if there’s swelling on your face. You can also take some painkiller medications to reduce the discomfort.

Trauma

Trauma is a common dental emergency that often leads to tooth loss. Accidents can cause trauma. They can dislodge the teeth and cause bleeding.

Interestingly, you can still salvage the dislodged tooth. But the key is timeliness. If you lost a tooth, rinse it off using water or milk. Take the tooth and tuck it inside your cheek.

This will keep the tooth and the root moisturized. Now head on to your dentist ASAP for assessment.

An emergency dentist can provide a thorough assessment to see if they can still save your tooth. You can also expect them to stop the bleeding and treat the pain.

Severe Tooth Ache

Several causes lead to extreme tooth pain. Certain dental procedures can lead to severe toothache. This may last for several hours to a day or two.

Sometimes, pulpal and gum abscess can also cause severe pain and discomfort. This will lead to painful chewing and biting. Inflammation on a wisdom tooth can also cause intense pain.

All of these instances require emergency dental attention. Expect the dentist to examine your tooth. They will also give you some pain medications.

Thereafter, they will explain your condition and the options available. They can perform a tooth extraction. They can also operate on the area to take out the abscess.

Lost Fillings

Losing your dental fillings can become an emergency case if it leads to severe pain and inflammation. Inflammation happens when bacteria infect the exposed tooth tissue.

As you see your emergency dentist, he will work on the infection by removing the decay. The decay usually happens between the old filling and your tooth. Thereafter, they will give you a new filling.

Crown Coming Off

Do you wear a temporary dental crown? If it comes off, you need to see your dentist immediately. If you can catch it, put a tiny amount of Vaseline on the crown’s back part.

This will serve as a temporary bond while traveling to your dentist. A good dentist will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the tooth. He will also provide a replacement crown that should last for years.

Dental Emergency

Choosing the Right Dentist

Now that you are aware of the most common emergency dental cases, you need to find the right dentist for the procedures. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the right dentist:

1. Reputation

First, you need to look into the reputation of the dental practice. Check the client reviews and feedback. Find out if they are happy or if they have any complaints.

Customer reviews can give you an idea of what to expect. If you see numerous negative comments, then perhaps you should consider looking for another option.

2. Accessibility

Since time is of the essence in emergency dental cases, you need to find an accessible dentist. This means the dentist should offer real-time scheduling. A good dentist will never make you wait for a long time during emergencies.

3. Facilities and Level of Care

You should also check the facilities of the dental office. Check if they are using some of the latest dental equipment for dental emergencies. Visit the office and see how it looks like.

Go for a dentist that prioritizes sanitation. You should also look into the quality of their care. How do they treat their new patients?

Do they make their patients feel comfortable in the dental chair? Do they take away the anxiety when they treat kids?

4. Proximity

You should also look for a dental office that is close to home. This will save you time especially during cases that call for immediate attention.

After all, you don’t want to risk driving too fast or too far during an emergency. This increases the risk for everyone involved, especially on a busy road.

5. Affordability

Last but not least, go for a dental practice that is friendly to your budget. Studies show that half of Americans opt to delay their dental procedures because of the high costs.