When you experience an oral injury or a dental problem, knowing if you need emergency care and if your dental insurance covers you is essential. Not all dental issues are emergencies. Some require immediate dental care, and some require a few deep breaths and patience.
A toothache, a tooth falling out, pain from a dental crown, or a chipped tooth could be serious dental issues but not emergencies, so it’s always advised to consider your options in advance.
However, if it’s an emergency, you should visit or call your dentist immediately for treatment.
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What is a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency is a tooth-related issue that offers immediate treatment. It’s anything but a dental routine. With dental emergencies, one needs immediate action to address the discomfort, severe pain, or trauma to their mouth that can cause bleeding and lacerations to their gums and fracture or dislodge teeth.
What to Do During a Dental Emergency
Knowing what to do when you or your child experience a dental emergency is good. Below are some of the dental emergencies you can encounter and how to handle them.
Broken and Chipped Teeth
A broken or chipped tooth ruins your smile and also hurts. So first, rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a piece of gauze to the bleeding area. Then, ensure you use a cold compress on the part closest to the chipped or broken teeth to help reduce swelling and relieve pain.
While seeking emergency care, your dentist near Humble tx will advise you to be conscious of biting down on crunchy and hard foods.
Knocked out tooth
As you can handle a cracked, broken, or chipped tooth, ensure you pick up the tooth by the crown and rinse off the dirty root. Otherwise, you should avoid removing and scrubbing attached tissue fragments.
Depending on your injury, you might be able to put the tooth back in place, but carefully avoid pushing it to its socket. If you can’t put back the tooth into the socket, put it in a small cup with water or milk with a salt pinch. This helps preserve the tooth in time for emergency restoration at your dentist’s office.
Toothache
Experiencing pain in your tooth is never a good sign. The pain can indicate different conditions, including tooth decay. Although some toothaches can be managed without emergency treatment, certain signs like swelling require urgent attention.
You should avoid turning to common remedies like taking painkillers such as aspirin because contact with the affected gum might burn the tissue.
Instead, you should apply a cold compress to your cheek and contact the dental clinic near you for emergency treatment.
Lost Crown or Filling
Fillings and dental crowns help restore teeth that were previously damaged back to their normal function and appearance. So when they break, you need to get treated immediately by our emergency dentist in Humble to avoid reinfection or further damage.
You should try fixing them temporarily while waiting for emergency care. For example, try sticking sugarless gum into your cavity and restoring the tooth to avoid damaging it.
An Abscess
Infections in your mouth, especially in the space between the gums and teeth, are severe. When left untreated, they spread to the gum tissue, surrounding teeth, and the rest of your body. If you’re unsure if it’s an abscess, look for a painful pimple-like swollen part in your gums.
Then, ensure you call or visit our dental office at Charm Dental in Humble for treatment and to prevent worse oral health problems.
Broken Orthodontics
Dental braces are challenging because they are designed to withstand daily wear and tear while eating, chewing, or talking. But even though they are challenging, they can still break or stick out and poke the gums and cheeks. This causes discomfort and can slow down or reverse progress in straightening and aligning the teeth.
Objects Stuck Between Teeth
If something gets lodged between your teeth, use dental floss to gently remove it and rinse with warm water to dislodge smaller particles. Avoid sharp objects like pins or toothpicks, as they can damage your gums and enamel. If the object remains stuck or causes discomfort, visit your dentist for safe removal.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Cuts or lacerations on the lips, tongue, or cheeks can cause pain and bleeding. Gargle with warm salt water to clean the wound and reduce the risk of infection. Apply gentle pressure with gauze or a moist tea bag to stop bleeding, and use a cold compress to minimize swelling and pain.
If bleeding persists beyond 10-15 minutes or the injury is severe, seek emergency dental care immediately. Quick action during dental emergencies can help prevent serious oral health issues.
Ways to Avoid Dental Emergencies
Preventing dental emergencies is just as important as knowing how to handle them. Follow these simple steps to protect your teeth and gums.
- Maintain good oral hygiene
Brush twice, floss daily, and visit your dentist regularly for checkups. - Avoid chewing on complex objects
Ice, popcorn kernels, and pens can crack or chip your teeth. - Wear a mouthguard
A mouthguard can prevent injuries and fractures if you play sports or grind your teeth at night. - Be cautious with food
Avoid biting into hard foods like nuts or candies, which can cause cracks or chips. - Don’t use your teeth as tools
Opening packages or bottles with your teeth can cause severe dental damage.
