WHAT COUNTS AS A DENTAL EMERGENCY?
As soon as you have a dental crisis on your hands, it is a difficult and painful experience, especially if you make the wrong decisions about how to resolve it. If you are lucky enough to have never experienced a dental emergency, you may not know what one is or what to do. In both instances, you should prepare yourself to handle a dental emergency when it arises for you or a family member. Our dental practice in Columbus, OH can help when you or a member of your family end up in one of these dental emergencies:
- A PAIN IN YOUR TOOTH
An ache in your tooth or gums generally does not constitute an urgent dental concern. However, if you have unbearable pain and you can’t eat, think, drink, sleep, or relieve the ache taking over-the-counter medication because of the constant throb, it is time to go to your nearest dentist in Columbus, OH. A pain in a tooth is a symptom of many issues, so your dentist will need to determine the underlying cause before discussing your treatment. A toothache may be a sign of something as minor as a cavity, but it may also be caused by something bigger, like gum disease or an abscessed tooth. The only way to find out and stop the pain is to see your dentist right away for an exam.
- CRACKS, PARTIAL, OR COMPLETE KNOCK-OUT
- BROKEN RESTORATION
Anyone who has broken a restoration accidentally chewing a popcorn kernel or pulled out a crown eating a gooey food, like toffee, knows it can happen to anyone at any time. In these circumstances, it is best to save the restoration, and get in to see your dentist soon. When you’re making your appointment, ask for advice on preserving the crown or bridge.
- UNCONTROLLABLE BLEEDING
Small or big, a gash in your the soft tissue of your mouth that will not stop bleeding is definitely a sign that you are having a dental emergency. When you have put gauze in your mouth and applied pressure for at least 15 minutes, but the bleeding continues to persist, then you need to go to your dentist or the emergency room for care. Keep pressure on the area until you get help and do your best not to move your mouth or lips in a way that will restart the bleeding.
- NEW TEETH
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to appear. This typically happens in the teens or early twenties. While the pain you feel might feel like it’s a crisis, it may not constitute an urgent situation. However, if you have a fever or a swollen jaw, you should call your dentist to be checked as fast as possible to diagnose a possible infection and address pain or other symptoms you may have.
When your child is teething, he or she could also experience swelling, mild fever, and pain. If you are worried your child has a serious issue, like an infection, while they are teething, you should call and get the opinion of a doctor to be safe.
- SPORTS-RELATED INJURIES
When you send your kids to practice or compete in their favorite sport, you make certain they’re equipped for the action with head protection, proper team clothing, and equipment to do their best. Are you protecting your child’s teeth from injury with a mouth guard? Imagine all the opportunities your child has to have a tooth cracked by a baseball, a kick on the soccer field, or a football tackle. Tons of kids have a tooth chipped or knocked out every year from participating in sports. Every sport presents the possibility of having a dental emergency.
You could also participate in activities like recreational biking, tennis, basketball, racquetball, and more. Most adults think that an injury won’t happen to them, but even minor damage from a chipped tooth should send you straight to the dentist’s office.
- SWELLING AND ABSCESSES
An abscessed tooth can happen to anyone at any time, especially if there has been a trauma to the face. An abscessed tooth is an emergency and you need to have an abscess evaluated and treated by a dental professional. Causing pain, swelling, inability to chew down, and a high fever, an abscess can quickly take a turn for the worse. If you choose not to get treatment, you can find yourself with bigger issues, like losing the infected tooth, the teeth surrounding it, and eventually, the infection spreading to your jaw and bloodstream. A ruptured abscess can be a major problem, so find a dentist in Columbus, OH as soon as possible.
KNOW WHEN TO GET HELP
As you can see, there are many ways you may experience a situation that requires emergency dental care. We want you to bear in mind that if you can’t stop bleeding, you are in unbearable pain, you have lost a tooth or restoration, you have been hit in the face, you feel swelling or a large bump in your gums, then you need to go to a dentist or another medical practice in Columbus, OH immediately. Whether you are a regular patient of DentalWorks – Easton or not, our team of dental professionals will do our best to help you in a dental emergency and restore your oral health.
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