Dental emergencies come in many forms, and some are more urgent than others. How do you know what is serious and what isn’t? Continue reading to find out!
Lost Tooth
If your tooth gets knocked out, you need urgent dental care.
Generally, your chances to save the natural tooth decreases after 30-60 minutes. Here are some tips if your tooth has come out of the socket, and you can locate it:
- Stay calm.
- Contact your Snow Family Dentistry
- Hold your tooth by the crown only, which is the part used to chew food.
- Rinse your tooth in water. Do not rub or agitate your tooth, and do not use soap or chemicals. Do not wash any tissue still on the root of your tooth.
- The best way to preserve your tooth is to hold it in the socket that it came from. If this is not possible, then place your tooth in a container of milk or your saliva.
- Rinse your mouth with warm water.
- Apply a cold compress to your face in the area of the injury.
What if your tooth can’t be saved?
If our experts can’t save your tooth, we will replace it with a dental implant.
Broken, Chipped or Cracked Tooth
Teeth can also crack while eating, especially if you bite into a hard piece of food, candy or ice cube. Typically, a tooth with a small chip can be fixed with a tooth filling and does not require urgent treatment if the nerve is not exposed. Also, a larger piece of a broken tooth may be restored with a dental crown.
Tooth or Gum Abscess
A pocket of pus that develops at the root of your tooth is known as a tooth or gum abscess, and can drain pus into your mouth. As a result, you may have a foul taste in your mouth.
Signs and symptoms that you have a tooth or gum abscess can include a consistent throbbing toothache, fever, foul smelling breath, swelling of the gums, jaw, or face. If left untreated, the infection can spread to other areas of the head and neck. You can also experience these symptoms without experiencing dental trauma. If this is the case, you may have tooth decay that has penetrated the inner pulp of your tooth.
If you think you have an abscess, you should get urgent treatment.
When to Contact Snow Family Dentistry
Some situations require an immediate visit to your Snow Family Dentistry dentist. In summary, you should see your dentist immediately if you have:
- Swelling around your mouth or facial area
- Knots or swelling in your gums
- You are bleeding from the mouth
- A loose tooth
- You are in a severe amount of pain that doesn’t dissipate even after taking a pain reliever
Our highly trained team of experts at Snow Family Dentistry specialize in urgent care dentistry, and treat various dental emergencies with compassion and care. For more information regarding our services, please click here.
