Dental Emergencies: What to Do When You Need Immediate Care

What Is a Dental Emergency?

Tooth decay, gum disease, and damaged teeth are just a few examples of dental emergencies, and even though taking good care of your teeth is the best way to preserve your oral health, being ready for dental care emergencies may also help you avoid long-term damage. 

These are some of the dental emergencies when you should immediately seek a doctor’s intervention: 

• Broken Crown: Extracting a tooth is considered a serious oral trauma and a dental emergency, and you should try to retain your tooth in its socket if it is knocked out. If the tooth is totally knocked out, pick it up and take it with you to the dentist or emergency department. If you arrive in time, it could be feasible to salvage your natural tooth and restore it in your mouth without causing oral harm.

• Dental Abscess: A dental abscess is a pocket of pus that forms as a result of a significant oral infection, and periodically, dental abscesses may form on the gum line or behind a tooth. Fever, pus, agonizing pain, and swollen, pimple-like areas of the mouth can all be signs of an abscess, which is a hazardous infection that might cause serious dental trauma if it spreads.  

• Infection Symptoms: A fever, any swelling in or around your mouth, pus in your mouth, painful locations that feel sensitive to the touch, or areas of your gums that feel like pimples might all be signs of an oral infection, and if you suspect that you may have an oral infection, you should seek emergency dental care or medical assistance immediately.

• Excessive Pain: You could have a serious oral health problem if your acute tooth pain doesn't go away or can't be well managed with over-the-counter medications, and in this situation you should be examined as soon as possible by a dentist.

• Swelling: Swelling in and around the mouth typically indicates a serious infection, and this is a dental emergency that has to be assessed, identified, and treated immediately to prevent worsening or even catastrophic outcomes. If you have mouth swelling, use a cold compress, take painkillers for emergency dental pain relief, and seek emergency dental treatment.

• Bleeding after a Tooth Extraction: After a tooth is extracted, a blood clot should form in the empty socket to stop the bleeding, but if the blood clot fails to form or breaks away from the socket, the bleeding will persist. Mild soreness and swelling are typical following an extraction; however, if these symptoms intensify or persist longer, an infection might be the source, and that is why after a tooth extraction if you have any of these symptoms, you should see a dentist straight away.

What should be done in a Dental Emergency? 

Even though dental emergencies can be terrifying, by being calm and taking the correct action, you can help ensure the best possible outcome. 

1. Consult a Dentist

A dentist who treats emergency dental trauma can provide you with emergency dental care because infections may become fatal if not treated immediately. Emergency dentists are consulted by people who require dental care but are unable to wait for a normal appointment, and you should schedule an urgent appointment and inform your dentist about the issue as soon as you can. 

If your dentist isn't available, you might wish to visit an emergency hospital, urgent care facility, or emergency dentistry clinic, depending on how serious the issue is.

2. Try to Reduce Pain and Swelling

Generally speaking, using over-the-counter pain relievers to ease discomfort while you wait for your appointment works just fine, but if you are bleeding at the time, you should not take aspirin or ibuprofen, instead, you should apply a cold compress to the affected area to reduce swelling.

3. Preserve a Broken Tooth

If a tooth is knocked out, keep your hands away from the root, pick it up by the crown, and store it in a container with milk or saline solution. You need to bring the tooth to the dentist with you so that it may be implanted in your mouth without unnecessary hazards. 

4. Prevent Further Damage

Eat only soft foods and avoid biting the area surrounding a chipped or fractured tooth until you see a dentist, and to safeguard the delicate tissues in your mouth, hide any sharp edges on the damaged tooth with dental wax or sugar-free gum.

Visit a Dentist for Emergency Dental Care without Delay 

In the event of a dental emergency, your first call ought to be to your dentist, but if you cannot reach your dentist or do not have one, go to the emergency room at the nearest hospital. You have to make sure the nurse or receptionist is aware of your dental emergency in order to speed up your appointment, and you need to inform the doctor or dentist about the incident and the type of pain you are feeling. 

Don't forget to mention any prior anesthesia-related bad reactions or medication allergies because if they use those drugs for emergency dental pain relief that may cause further problems.

Before beginning treatment, your dentist will most likely administer a local anesthetic to numb the afflicted area, and if an infection is present, treatment may involve antibiotics, extraction of the tooth, and subsequent cleaning and restoration. 

After your emergency visit, heed your dentist's recommendations on how to take care of your teeth and gums at home, and make sure your dentist schedules a follow-up appointment so they can evaluate your condition and ensure no new problems develop.

Final Remarks

Not every toothache requires you to visit the emergency room, but if the pain becomes unbearable or you think some pus is forming inside your mouth, it is time to look for emergency dental care. 

Severe dental injuries may get worse if they are not addressed immediately, and even minor problems such as a broken wire in your braces, or a little chipped tooth may cause significant damage if handled improperly. Take certain steps that we discussed above while you drive to the emergency room or your dentist's office, and afterwards listen to your dentist and follow their instructions. 

If you have tooth problems and may need emergency dental care, make an appointment with Medanta. Their experienced doctors will take care of you and identify the issue with modern, cutting-edge equipment.