Emergency Dental Care
Accidents happen. Unfortunately, these accidents frequently happen at an inconvenient time when people are traditionally not around to help. One common example of this is through dental care. If you are experiencing a dental emergency outside of normal business hours, it can be difficult to find a dentist willing to help. Below, we’ve detailed some common dental issues that may warrant a visit to an emergency dental care clinic.
Common Dental Emergencies
Dental injuries can happen from anything and anywhere. When you’re eating, you could bite on something hard and chip a tooth. If you’re playing sports, a tooth could get knocked free. When you sleep, you might unknowingly clench your jaw and cause yourself intense tooth or jaw pain.
Whatever the emergency, there are solutions and ways to handle your dental situation.
Cracked, Broken, or Knocked Out Teeth
One of the most common forms of dental emergencies are cracked, broken, and knocked out teeth. Depending on the severity of the chip or tooth fracture, you may be able to wait until normal business hours to contact a dentist. However, if there is a severe crack in the tooth, a large piece of the tooth broken or missing, if you have exposed nerves in the teeth, or if the tooth has been knocked out completely, it’s vital to seek emergency dental care.
In the meantime, if your tooth is broken, be sure to rinse out your mouth with warm water in order to clean the area properly.
Then, place a cold pack on your mouth to decrease potential swelling.
Alternatively, if your tooth has been knocked out, avoid touching the root of the tooth and attempt to put the tooth root back in its socket, being careful not to swallow the tooth. Otherwise, you can store the tooth between your cheek and gumline or in a small bag with your saliva in it. Seek emergency dental care immediately.
Tooth or Jaw Pain and Emergency Dental Care
Depending on the source of your tooth and jaw pain, you’ll likely be able to wait and avoid emergency dental care. Tooth and jaw pain are often symptoms of conditions like cavities, but they also might signify an abscessed tooth. This is an infection of the tooth’s inner pulp and requires drainage and antibiotics.
If the pain is significant, or if you’re worried about developing further issues, a visit to an emergency dental care center might be a good option for you.
Bleeding or Aching Gums
The final most common dental emergency that people experience relates to bleeding or aching gums. Traditionally not an emergency that requires seeking out emergency care, the situation can still be stressful and cause you pain.
Bleeding and aching gums may be an early sign of gingivitis or periodontal disease. These are diseases and infections of the gums. Though this may not warrant immediate emergency care, you should highly consider making an appointment with your dentist to get treatment.
Get Emergency Dental Care Now
If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, it’s important to visit an emergency dental care clinic immediately. Waiting for normal business hours could put you in a more harmful situation.
Here at Douglas Hamill DDS, our emergency services are open for you whenever you need us. If money is a concern, we offer payment plans to all of our patients. Your health should always come first.
To make an appointment with us at Douglas Hamill DDS, or for more information about our emergency dental care services, contact us today.
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