Dental Emergencies: What Are They and How to Handle Them?
It is not easy to differentiate between what a dental emergency is and what it is not. You can have a sneak peek at what qualifies as a dental emergency.
The one thing that we can all agree on is that no one can adequately prepare for an emergency. Just like accidents, they happen without our consent and knowledge. However, there are ways to mitigate the emergency, and that is where prudence comes into play.
You can never know when your child’s tooth can get knocked out, and that is why there is emergency dentistry in Surrey, BC. To help you handle dental emergencies while minimizing the damage as much as possible.
The greatest challenge that people face is to distinguish what a dental emergency is and what it is not. You might rush to the emergency center near you only to find that what you are experiencing is not a dental emergency.
Before we see what dental emergencies are, let’s look at what they are not.
Dental Emergencies: What They Aren’t
Any dental issue that can wait for a day or two before it is resolved is categorized as a non-emergency. Some scenarios may seem critical, and they can actually be less severe than what you think.
For example, if you have a cracked tooth which doesn’t hurt or there are no sharp fragments, then you can wait to see our dentist in Surrey, BC during regular working hours.
You cannot term a toothache as an emergency if the pain is not severe or there is no sign of an abscess, such as high fever, swelling of the face, and bumps on the gums.
Here are some of the issues that can be termed as non-emergencies:
- Sensitive teeth
- Minor toothache that isn’t persistent (it comes and goes)
- Discomfort from veneers
- A loose crown
- Pain in your wisdom teeth and there is no swelling
What Is a Dental Emergency?
Dental emergencies are scenarios where you need urgent attention from our dentist near you. In other words, you cannot wait a day or two before you seek medical care.
It is not easy for most patients to determine whether their specific problem requires emergency dental care.
In most scenarios, you can identify a dental emergency by asking yourself any of the following questions:
- Are you experiencing bleeding or severe pain?
- Have you lost a tooth and there’s a chance of saving it with prompt treatment?
- Are you showing any signs of infection, including a foul smell, fever, or swelling around the gums and face?
- Do you have any loose adult teeth
If your answer to any of the above questions is yes, then you might be having a dental emergency that would require immediate medical attention.
Tips on How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies
A Knocked-Out Tooth
A knocked-out tooth is one of the most common dental emergencies that require immediate medical attention. Most of the time, a knocked-out tooth can be fixed back, but it is a time-sensitive emergency. You need to get to the dentist near you within 30 minutes for the tooth to be saved.
Immediately the tooth is knocked out, pick it up without disturbing the root, and then rinse it out carefully and gently. If possible, try to reattach it to the socket by gently biting it down.
If not, then carry it while heading to the emergency dentistry near you in a cup of milk to keep it moist.
Loose and Misaligned Teeth
You can try to gently push them back into place while you make your way to our dentist who will splint it and then stabilize it.
Fractured or Cracked Tooth
Your teeth can break from biting down on something hard or severe decay or trauma. A tooth can also break if you grind on them while sleeping. This can be a severe problem, especially if the crack has gone beyond the enamel and into the tooth.
You need to check whether the surrounding teeth or gums are damaged from the injured tooth. You can swish water through your mouth to aid in slowing the bleeding and removing any small leftover debris.
If there are any large pieces, come with them to our dentist’s office.
Tooth and Gum Aches
Severe tooth and gum aches can be unbearable. Swollen gums are typically a sign of periodontal disease. You can try to gargle some warm salty water to alleviate pain and infection.
Then make your way to our dentistry to get your teeth checked.
If you think you have a dental emergency, you can call our dentist at King George Dental Centre, who can walk you through any issues you are facing.