Accidents in life, more times than not, are unpredictable. It’s not like you planned to injure yourself at sports practice. So, what do you do when you have an emergency and it’s your mouth that’s in trouble?
Dental emergencies unfortunately happen and they usually involve some form of trauma to the teeth, gums, or jaw. Some incidents are so severe that a trip to the emergency room is required. It is critical that you do not delay treatment and seek help soon after the trauma has occurred.
At Precision Family Dental, we treat a range of dental emergencies from surprise broken teeth to raging . To minimize long-term damage to your oral health, please call our office when something isn’t right.
Let’s look at 4 of the most common reasons individuals seek out .
1. Knocked-Out Tooth
Maybe it happened when you didn’t swing in time during your last baseball game. Or maybe it was when you didn’t see that rogue frisbee coming. However it occurred, it resulted in an oral injury and a tooth being knocked out.
If you find yourself in this situation, try not to panic. Instead, pick the tooth up by the crown, or top, to avoid damage to the roots. Rinse off any debris or dirt that may be on it and if possible, try to put the tooth back into the socket. If not, place it in milk so it does not dry out.
Be sure to call our office or go to an emergency room quickly once you realize a tooth has been knocked out.
2. Broken or Cracked Tooth
Another dental emergency that should be taken care of soon after it occurs is a broken or cracked tooth. Should this happen to you, you’ll need to first try to save all pieces of your tooth if possible.
Next, be sure to rinse your mouth with warm water so the area is cleaned. To help reduce any swelling, apply a cold compress to your face.
3. Dental Abscess
A dental abscess is a pocket of pus in a tooth caused by an infection. This infection can result from an ignored cavity, injury, or old dental work.
Our dentist can drain the abscess to rid the infection. Your tooth can be saved with a root canal but if the situation is too severe, the tooth will unfortunately need to be pulled. If a dental abscess is left untreated, it can result in often life-threatening complications.
4. Severe Toothache
Have persistent tooth pain? There are a few steps you can take to ease your discomfort before calling our office. First, rinse your mouth with warm water to flush the area and get it clean. Next, gently use floss to remove any food that is caught between your teeth.
If swishing with warm water and flossing does not help, please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with our dentist so we can resolve the issue before it worsens.
Make an Appointment Today
If you are experiencing a dental emergency similar to those listed above, please do not hesitate to visit our office as soon as you can. Our is available to help quickly restore your smile in no time.
Contact us online to schedule an appointment or call us today at (616) 949-1570.