A dental emergency is any dental related problem that requires immediate treatment or attention. Typically, one can’t stay for long without seeking the services of a dentist for examination and treatment. Failure to seek immediate medical attention can result in the rapid growth of the problem to a point where it becomes even dangerous to the overall well-being of the affected person. Dental emergencies can happen anytime. Therefore, it’s essential always to keep some contact details for dentists nearby so that you can contact them immediately if there’s an emergency issue. Below are the common types of dental emergencies:
1.Toothache
This is a common dental problem that people experience from time to time. A toothache shows that there’s a severe problem associated with your teeth that needs immediate attention to get rid of the pain. Most people try to eliminate this pain through painkillers. Although these painkillers can relieve pain, in most cases, they don’t provide a permanent solution. You need to consult a dentist immediately if you have a toothache to get emergency care and prevent the problem from getting worse. After the treatment, the dentist will guide you on the best practices to prevent these problems in the future.
2.Cracked teeth
Having a cracked tooth can result in gum bleeding and extreme pain. Teeth can get cracks as a result of various reasons, including auto accidents, slip, and fall accidents, or even biting extremely hard to crack objects. When this happens, you should also take immediate action by stopping the bleeding and then rushing to a nearby emergency dentist to get the best treatment.
3.Lost crown or filling
The main role of crowns and filling is to bring back the normal function and appearance of damaged teeth. Therefore, if they break due to what ever reason, you need to find a solution immediately to prevent total damage. Since you’re not a dental expert, trying to fix this problem on your own can lead to further damage. It’s advisable to visit your dentist for examination and fitting of a new crown or filling.
4.Gum injury
This generally occurs as a result of mouth injury or the use of a hard bristled toothbrush. There are high chances of developing gum infections when you have a gum injury since bacteria can easily penetrate through the injury openings. This can cause a lot of pain and discomfort, especially when eating. Any presence of gum injury shouldn’t be taken lightly to prevent the situation from worsening in the future. Simply find emergency dental care straight away, and you’ll avoid the possible adverse consequences you’re likely to come across soon.
5.Loose teeth
If you have loose teeth, you need to visit an emergency dentist immediately. A loose tooth has a high risk of falling off, especially when chewing food. If you’re not keen when chewing food, it’s easy to swallow the tooth together with food. A dentist will help you return your loose tooth into its normal state so that it doesn’t interfere with your day to day life.
6.Broken teeth
If you’re involved in an accident, you can be injured in the mouth and thus resulting in broken teeth. You’ll know that your tooth is broken if, after an accident, you’re bleeding too much, you notice a broken line and some reddish flesh on your mouth. In this case, since there’s no dentist at that particular point, you should rinse your mouth and apply gauze to the affected areas. After bleeding stops completely, you can now rush to a nearby dentist for examination and further treatment.
7.Damaged orthodontics
Most orthodontics, including braces, play a significant role in the human mouth through proper teeth alignment, positioning, and bite pattern alignment. They’re made using strong materials that are resistant to wear and tear regardless of the activity you’re undertaking, including eating or chewing. At some point in time, these orthodontics do break and get damaged, thus poking the gums and cheeks. This brings a lot of discomforts and also reverses their functionality (teeth alignment and strengthening). If your braces get damaged, try fixing the wire to ensure you don’t get any discomfort. After this, visit an emergency dentist for complete repair or replacement of the braces depending on the level of damage.
8.Soft tissue injury
The mouth has some soft tissues such as the tongue, lips, and inner cheeks. If you get an injury (punctures, lacerations, or tears) in any of these parts, you need to seek immediate medical attention. However, if you’re bleeding heavily after getting the injury, use warm water to cease bleeding before you can visit the nearest dentist for further treatment.
9.Stuck objects between the teeth
This problem primarily affects those with huge gaps/spaces between their teeth. Immediately after consuming some foods, you might notice that a lot of remains have been left in between your teeth. Sometimes, these objects might also be difficult to remove, even when using dental floss. In this case, you need to see an emergency dentist to get rid of these food particles that are hard to remove. Failure to remove them will result in increased accumulation of food particles on the teeth that’ll later lead to bacteria growth and later teeth decay.
10.Tooth abscess
This problem occurs as a result of the accumulation of pus around a tooth’s roots or gum/teeth spaces. Failure to take immediate action can result in the problem worsening and spreading to other body parts. To avoid this, it’s essential to visit your dentist for treatment. Depending on the extent of the condition, the dentist will either use root canal treatment, drain the abscess or pull the teeth. You’ll also be advised to ensure you maintain proper dental hygiene and keep off high sugar diets.
In conclusion, these are some of the common types of dental emergencies. You can prevent these dental emergencies by keeping track of what you eat, using a mouth guard, planning regular dental checkups, and generally practicing good dental and hygiene.