People usually first schedule appointments much before their dental consultations. It’s frequently for things like dental implants, dentures, teeth extraction, and other dental treatments.
But what happens when you have to immediately see a dentist and you have not previously scheduled an appointment?
Such dental consultations are required when pain or other oral problems develop as a result of an accident or trauma to the mouth. When it comes to severe and serious dental problems, every minute counts. A dentist must respond promptly to severe toothache, loss of teeth, oral injuries etc.
With the aid of an emergency dentist, sudden and serious dental problems can be resolved. Dental problems include, but are not limited to, bleeding gums, dental implant problems or dentures falling off, and urgent care for example root canal treatment. Such situations can’t wait for a later appointment with the dentist, and they must be addressed right away. If care isn’t given immediately in these circumstances, the problem will get worse and have a larger negative influence on dental health.
How does emergency dentistry help?
Emergency dentistry procedures help in certain situations like the below:
Bleeding
When brushing, bleeding is evident, especially when a new toothbrush is used or when a milk tooth is ready to give way to adult teeth in children. Conditions such as these are typical occurrences in which bleeding will eventually cease.
The problem is more severe in individuals who suffer from gum diseases, such as gingivitis, periodontal disease and tooth abscesses. While the majority of these infections are treatable with minor surgical procedures or oral hygiene improvements, severe cases may necessitate more invasive treatments like root canal therapy.
If a person has gum disease but has not been treated recently, he or she may develop bleeding. If ignored, the gums get severely inflamed and they will start bleeding – a situation that requires help fast.
In the case of trauma to the mouth due to accidents or fall – bleeding might be seen. In these situations, it is important that steps are taken to reduce or stop the blood flow and get a dental consultation. A dentist will be able to assess the situation and diagnose the extent of damage and undertake steps to prevent the issue from escalating.
When dental issues have not been taken care of, then bleeding can be taken as the sign that the dental problem has progressed to the next level. Emergency dentistry will help fix the immediate issue at hand and then procedures to save the dental/oral health can be planned at a later time.
Toothache
Almost everyone would have experienced toothache at some point in their life. Toothache is the sure sign there is some issue with the teeth and needs to be fixed. If the issue is complex, then the toothache will increase sharply and affect the chewing or swallowing of food/drinks.
An increase in toothache can be gradual or it can be sudden as well. This can be due to cavities in the teeth or infection that has affected the tooth root. Gum lining can also be affected and cause pain in the gums which will cause pain when food is consumed.
Loss of dental enamel to a large extent will expose the tooth root to the food that is consumed. The core of the teeth when exposed to hot/cold food will bring pain to the teeth as it has lost its protective covering. Toothache is also felt in cases when there is trauma to the mouth due to accident or contact sports for instance. Pain is one of the sure most signs that will alert a person on an issue with dental health.
Oral injuries
Mouth injuries can happen due to accidents, falls or while engaging in contact sports. Injuries can also result while consuming food that is very hot and cause burns in the mouth. It is important to recognise that mouth injuries can be severe and need immediate care.
Some burns need to be treated with antiseptic and also antibiotics to rule out infection in the soft tissues of the mouth. Contact sports or falls can also break or damage the soft tissue of the mouth/lips and also damage the tooth. There will also be bleeding and pain along with the injuries in the mouth. Because of this it will be difficult to notice where the major issues are.
In these situations, it is best to check with a dentist and undergo measures that are planned by the dentist. This will help to find out where the major injuries are, help prevent more damage and prevent possible severe oral and dental damage.
Knocked-out teeth/loose teeth
Loss of teeth happens when the bacterial infection affects the tooth roots. This causes the teeth to be dislodged from their root and come out loose. Dislodging of teeth will cause pain and also problems when food is consumed. The tooth can be dislodged partially or fully depending on the extent of the damage.
Teeth can also get knocked out due to falls or accidents and bring with it bleeding from the gums along with pain. Teeth that are knocked out can be saved by the dentist – but the requirement is that the tooth is taken care of and placed in the same position in the mouth or kept securely in the container with water.
It is important that the teeth are not dried out. Help in this case will be possible through emergency dental care. Teeth can be saved and dental health can be restored.
The need for emergency dentistry is important in situations like sports injury or accidents. But it should be considered as the way to have dental consultations normally. The care is given through emergency dentistry is for situations that happen suddenly. In situations where a person has bleeding from the gums, pain in the tooth or severe teeth sensitivity – all these need to be checked at the earliest through regular dental consultations.
Most of the dental issues can be taken care of through regular dental consultations. However, in emergency situations, prompt care should be sought to preserve dental health.