Emergency Dentist: When Do You Need One

Urgent dental care is an immediate need for the treatment of a dental problem. It focuses on managing injuries or illnesses that require prompt attention to relieve severe pain or risk of infection.

Emergency dental care is essential for the following reasons:

• Maintaining the teeth’s functionality
• Reducing severe pain
• Curbing infections before they develop to life-threatening conditions

How Do I Know It Is An Emergency?

In the case of emergencies, quick intervention from a dental clinic near you prevents potential oral infections. The following instances signify an emergency:

• Excruciating pain
• A lot of bleeding from the mouth
• Persistent fever or a bad smell coming from your mouth
• Knocked-out teeth
• Extensive swelling and knotting of the gums or face
• A wobbly adult tooth. Adults should not have a unsecured tooth even when it is painless.
• pus or an infection from delayed treatment
• Lost filling, or crown
• Foreign objects stuck in between teeth.
• A painful fractured tooth with particles embedded in the gum

If you spot any of these symptoms, consult a skilled emergency dentist near you to get a practical solution as dental issues such as these are life-threatening.

Here are some first aid tips for dealing with common dental emergencies before contacting the dentist:

• A painful broken or chipped tooth can be thoroughly rinsed with warm water. Compress an ice pack on the outside of the swollen cheek to take it down.
• You can attempt to insert a dislodged tooth back into the socket. Ensure you put the tooth in milk or between your cheek and gums after rinsing off the dirt. Please don’t touch the tooth’s root and hold it by the crown. Avoid scrubbing off any tissue pieces left.
• Use dental floss to try to dislodge any foreign objects gently. Shy away from using sharp objects that may cut your gum.
• Place a piece of sugarless gum in the groove left by a missing filling.
• Apply a cold compress to ease the pain for partially excluded teeth
• Control any bleeding with a clean, cold, and wet cloth and a piece of gauze until it stops
• Lacerations or bites on the lips or tongue can be gently cleaned with water, and the bleeding controlled by a clean piece of cloth.

See a dentist for stitches.

Other conditions cannot be controlled at home. They include:

• Persistent pain accompanied by bleeding gums signifies periodontal disease. It will require treatment to ensure the tissues and bone are healthy.
• An infection with constant jawline pain and abscessed teeth requires a dentist to prescribe antibiotics, drain the pus, and perform a root canal. An abscess can trigger diseases in other parts of the body. You can reduce pain by rinsing your mouth with salty water several times.

Is Every Dental Problem Considered An Emergency?

Mild problems can wait until your primary dentist can see you after a few days. These are not urgent and don’t risk the possibility of further damage and treatment if you are careful. Here are some examples:

• A painless broken or tooth.
• Dull toothache that doesn’t have symptoms of an infection like pus leakage.
• Lose crowns or filling. You could temporarily manage the problem by reattaching the crown using over-the-counter denture adhesive or cement.

How Can I Prevent Emergencies?

You can reduce potential emergencies by Practicing proper dental hygiene and having frequent oral examinations by your dentist. Routine visits to the dentist will involve the assessment of dental restoration structures like fillings and crowns. The dentist will fix those that are not firm. They will also check for decay, infection, and gum illness symptoms and start the required treatment plans. Some tips you can employ to maintain oral hygiene include:

• Following the dentists’ instructions when you have a tooth extracted, hence preventing infections and dry socket.
• Wearing a mouth guard while playing sports
• Brushing twice a day
• Flossing
• Taking a balanced diet
• Avoid using your teeth to open wrappings, especially when you have dental bridges, composite fillings, or veneers.
• Rinsing your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash
• Avoid chewing candy or ice

If you need emergency dental services in SW, Calgary, consider Poplar Dental Care. We offer immediate response to emergencies even after office hours.