What To Do When a Dental Emergency Occurs?
Severe oral issues such as injuries to your gums, teeth, jawbone, and mouth are something you can’t afford to ignore. If an oral issue causes you significant discomfort that affects your daily routine, that means it’s potentially serious, and you should seek emergency dentistry in Great Neck, NY. Ignoring such problems can cause severe pain and even increase your risk of permanent damage, endangering your future oral health.
It can result in more invasive and expensive treatments too. For instance, if you knock out your tooth during a sports injury, your dentist might be able to restore it in its socket. However, if you wait too long, you may lose the tooth permanently. You’ll need to invest in a replacement procedure such as a dental implant or bridge to replace the tooth.
For these reasons, you should address dental emergencies as quickly as possible. Call your emergency dentist or visit an emergency clinic near you immediately. If the issue isn’t too severe, like a cracked tooth, you can wait until your regular dental office opens. However, you should know that the longer you wait, the longer it can expose you to more complications such as tooth decay. If the issue is an emergency, you may be wondering what you need to do. Let’s have a look at some care tips for dental emergencies.
Dental Emergency Care Tips
Severe tooth pain, swelling, and sensitivity
Oral pain is a clear sign that something is wrong. Pain in your tooth, gums, and mouth can be miserable. A toothache is usually a sign of dental trauma or decay. Tooth pain when consuming hot or cold items can also mean pulp infection, enamel erosion, or cracked fillings.
When you experience severe tooth pain, swelling, and sensitivity, you should contact your dentist to eliminate the discomfort and address the underlying issues. In the meantime, you can press a cold compress against the outside of the cheek to relieve pain and swelling.
You can also take painkillers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, but not aspirin. After you get to the dentist, they will likely give you a stronger pain reliever. If you suspect trapped food particles could be causing the pain, you can floss.
- Bleeding
Like pain, oral bleeding isn’t normal. Oral bleeding can result from various reasons, including aggressive brushing, gum disease, dental trauma, or side effects of a dental procedure. While it’s normal to bleed immediately after a procedure like tooth extraction, if the bleeding persists for a few hours, it’s a good idea to contact your emergency dentist. If you notice repeated bleeding when brushing and eating, it’s most likely gingivitis. Fortunately, you can reverse it if treated promptly. If you suspect gum disease and unexplained oral bleeding, contact your dentist or go to an ER near you and keep your head elevated.
- Cracked, broken, knocked out tooth.
If you bite on something hard or are in an accident, you can suffer dental damage such as chips, cracks, and breaks. You can visit your dentist for a tooth emergency procedure to reattach the tooth. It’s imperative that you address tooth cracks and breaks as soon as possible to avoid further damage. Rinse your mouth with warm water and use a cold compress to manage swelling or pain.
- Abscess
An abscess is always a sign of severe oral infection. An abscess is a painful pus-filled bump with abnormal size and color. Sometimes, it follows pain, fever, facial swelling, and sensitivity. You should never ignore dental abscesses, as they can even spread to your brain and other parts of the body. If you think you, have one contact an emergency dentist near you as soon as possible. In the meantime, rinse your mouth with warm saltwater.
- Soft tissue injuries
Unless it’s a significant cut or minor injuries on the mouth, soft tissues such as tongue, gums, cheeks, or lips will likely heal independently. However, if the injury is causing severe bleeding or the symptoms worsen, it’s essential to seek immediate help from an emergency dentist. As you wait for help, you can control the bleeding by rinsing your mouth with salt water or applying a cold compress to relieve the pain.
Book an Appointment Today
If a dental emergency happens, don’t hesitate to contact your emergency dentist or visit an Emergency Room near you. For more information about dental emergency care and services, contact Great Neck Dental Associates.