Emergency Dentistry: What to Do When You Need Urgent Dental Care

Dental emergencies can be a scary experience and can occur for a variety of reasons, from damage to the teeth or the jawbone to infections in the mouth. When you experience dental trauma, what you do can influence the success of the treatment. While visiting an emergency dentist near you can help you, it is crucial to care for your teeth and gums as you wait for treatment.

What is a Dental or Oral Emergency?

Dental and oral emergencies come in many different shapes, forms, and sizes. They are considered a medical emergency that may result in the loss of teeth, jawbone, or life if not treated immediately. The severity of the dental emergency varies according to its location and type. The most common dental problems that require urgent dental care include broken teeth, bleeding, and infections. If you notice any of these signs, it is important to get emergency dentistry in Lewisville, TX, as soon as possible.

What To Do After a Dental Emergency Occurs?

What you do after an emergency dental problem occurs is vital as it may affect the treatment process.

1. Know the most common dental emergencies 

Not all emergency dental problems need a trip to the dentist. Some can be handled at home with home remedies as you wait for an appointment. Knowing the difference between urgent and non-urgent dental problems is crucial. The most common dental emergencies are related to the teeth and gums. These include:

• Gum infection

The most common cause of tooth infection is a buildup of plaque on the teeth that can lead to gingivitis, an inflammation of the gum tissue that causes bleeding, swelling, tenderness, and redness in the gum tissue. When a person is suffering from an oral infection, they may experience several uncomfortable symptoms, including pain, bad breath, swelling, and a fever. These problems can lead to serious complications, such as inflammation of the heart muscle and pneumonia. So make sure to visit your dentist if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

• Toothache or Pain

Toothache is something that almost everyone can experience. Many factors cause toothache, like infection, injury, periodontal disease, or trauma. Symptoms may vary depending on what caused the problem and how severe it is. People with tooth pain may experience other symptoms like swelling of gums around the teeth, sensitivity in the mouth and lips, and bad breath from inflammation in the gums.

• Dental Abscess

The most common cause of an abscess is a bacterial infection in the mouth. A root canal from another tooth, root tip, or fissure may also lead to an abscess if not adequately cleaned out beforehand. A dental emergency is best treated by visiting your dentist.

• Gum Bleeding

In most cases, dental bleeding is not that serious and can be managed at home. However, if the bleeding becomes uncontrolled or you have underlying health conditions like diabetes, they may need to go to the hospital. Gum bleeding can occur due to gum disease or when something is stuck between your teeth and blood comes out of your mouth. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, then you should see a dentist as soon as possible.

• Broken Dental Braces and Crowns

Dental emergencies are a common cause of broken dental braces and crowns. Braces and crowns are very fragile, so they can easily break. This can happen if you suffer from grinding or clenching of the teeth, which causes the tooth to crack or break. An injury to the tooth or the gum tissue surrounding can also cause the teeth to crack or break near the brackets, wires, or bridges that support them.

2. Reduce gum swelling 

The gum swelling is a dental emergency and must be treated immediately. This condition might not be as severe as tooth pain or toothache but can cause discomfort. The over-the-counter pain relief medicines are usually recommended to reduce the irritation and help you in the recovery process. But if you need more help, it is always better to call your dentist before taking any medicine. To reduce swelling in your mouth, do some home remedies like chewing sugarless gum or sucking on a lemon wedge. Ice will reduce pain and swelling by cooling blood flow in your mouth.

3. Stop teeth and gum bleeding 

Tooth and gum bleeding can cause lots of pain. Therefore, it is important to have some tips in place to follow when you are in that situation. Here are a few tips that you can follow if you get tooth and gum bleeding:

• Apply pressure on the gums or cheek by pressing your thumb on the area to stop the bleeding. It should also help to ease any pain experienced.
• Rinse out your mouth with water before using a cold pack or ice for 10 minutes to reduce swelling and pain caused by the injury.

4. Seek Immediate Dental Care

It is crucial to visit the dentist within an hour after the dental emergency occurs, especially if the teeth are knocked out. This increases the chances of our emergency dentist saving your teeth.

What Are the Common Mistakes that Cause Emergency Dentistry?

Some of the more common ones are going too long without brushing your teeth, not going to a dentist regularly enough, or sugary foods.

Take Action!

Visit Arte Dental in Lewisville for immediate treatment after the emergency occurs. Call or step into Arte Dental the next time you are faced with a dental emergency. Book an appointment with our emergency dentist near you.