Dental emergencies are generally pretty serious issues if one should happen to you. Since you only get one set of permanent adult teeth, if any of them are damaged or at risk of falling out, you should consider it an emergency.
Dental Emergencies – What classifies as one?
- Loose/missing teeth – Adult teeth should never be loose or fall out for any reason.
- Severe toothache – If the pain is severe enough, it can qualify as an emergency.
- Bleeding or/and sore gums – Significant bleeding is an indication of gingivitis or infection.
- Swollen painful jaw – Infections in the gums and jaw can cause inflammation.
- Dental abscess – The inner pulp of your tooth has become infected.
- Severe sudden tooth sensitivity – This could mean your tooth has exposed dental pulp or roots.
- Broken/Fracture/Chipped teeth – This could result in extra damage to the gums or mouth, you’re too also may become infected if an opening to the inner tooth occurs.
How can I prevent a dental emergency?
Some dental emergencies can’t be prevented, for example, if you get into a car accident, or slip and fall on the road. However, most dental emergencies have a simple, easy way to prevent them, it just involves doing a standard oral care routine twice a day every day:
Clean your teeth like a pro, read the “Ultimate Teeth Cleaning Guide“.
- Less plaque build-up – Plaque can be brushed off, but if left alone it will harden to tartar.
- Less acid build-up – Bacteria in your mouth produce acid from carb digestion.
- Fresher breath – Food particles in your mouth will go bad and can cause infections.
- Healthy gums – Gum disease (gingivitis) can be prevented with good oral care.
Summary
Most dental emergencies can be prevented by brushing flossing, and using mouthwash twice a day, every day.
Can any clinic treat a dental emergency?
It depends on the severity and complexity of the emergency. General dentists can handle a wide array of dental procedures since they often have to. However, if the dental emergency has extra complications involved or the dentist is unsure that they can complete it, they will most likely refer you to a specialist.
There are a number of advanced oral care specialists:
- Orthodontist – Specializes in correcting misaligned teeth.
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeon – Works on the hard and soft tissues in your mouth.
- Periodontist – Focuses on gum health and diseases.
- Prosthodontist – Experts in teeth that have advanced decay or damage.
- Endodontists – They are concerned with the inside of the tooth.
6 Different Dental Emergencies
Severe Toothache
People get toothaches often for a lot of reasons, generally, they are not considered a “severe toothache”. A regular toothache may hurt, but it shouldn’t be disruptive and will probably go away soon. A severe toothache will cause a significant amount of pain and will prevent them from doing simple day-to-day tasks. For example, if you can’t talk because your tooth hurts that much it’s time to go to the dentist. It’s important to remember that pain is relative both in severity and expression that pain. If your teeth are causing you pain, try not to procrastinate or feel self-conscious about it.
Call your dentist now to get it checked out.
Chipped/fractured/broken/knocked out teeth
Lost filling or crown
Broken orthodontics
Dental Abscess
Bleeding and pain after a tooth extraction
Summary
Some common dental emergencies are:
- Severe toothache – Toothache that causes disruptive pain.
- Broken/Knocked-out teeth – Any time a tooth is damaged/knocked loose.
- Lost filling or crown – This can cause infection or further damage to that tooth.
- Broken Orthodontics – Can delay the teeth straightening process, and is very expensive.
- Dental abscess – An infection of the inner pulp of the tooth.
- Bleeding and pain after the tooth extraction – Get help if it continues for a significant amount of time after the extraction.
Dental Emergencies – How to prevent them
Sometimes even bad things happen to the healthiest smiles and can cause damage. However, if you want to try to keep your smile at its best, try these tactics to prevent an emergency:
- Brush, floss, mouth wash twice a day – Keeps your teeth clean, takes care of extra food particles and plaque build up.
- Wear protective gear – Helmets, mouth guards, etc. are all essential for keeping a full set of teeth.
- Regular dental checkups – See your dentist 2 times a year to keep up on long term cleaning.
- Eat smarter – More healthy foods (vegetables, lean meats, fruits, etc.). Less bad food (candies, gummies, chips, pop etc.)
- Unclench the jaw – Pay attention to see if your grinding your teeth, if you do happen to notice make an active effort to stop.
