What is a dental emergency, exactly? A dental emergency is a problem with your teeth or gums that requires immediate treatment. Unfortunately, in many cases, people don’t recognize an emergency situation for what it is. This failure to act can lead to lasting consequences for your oral health.
If you suspect you’re dealing with a dental emergency, please don’t hesitate. Contact Lovett Dental Webster by calling 832-932-5584 to learn more about what situations are considered a dental emergency or to make an appointment.
A Chipped or Broken Tooth
A chipped or broken tooth can cause extreme pain. Immediately after your tooth chips or breaks, rinse your mouth with warm tap water. If you still have part of the tooth, grab it as a dentist could use it during the treatment. While you’re waiting for the appointment, keep an ice pack on your mouth.
A Loose Tooth
This type of emergency isn’t too severe because the tooth stays in place. However, you’ll still need to visit a dentist because a loose tooth can cause severe pain. Painkillers can help ease the discomfort until the dental appointment.
A Broken Filling or Crown
If you break your crown or filling, you’ll experience discomfort while you eat food or drink a beverage. You’ll also feel pain when air touches the vulnerable spot. To reduce the pain before the emergency dentist appointment, you can apply clove oil to your tooth. You can find this oil at most drugstores.
A Toothache
There are different types of toothache symptoms; some of them are considered emergencies. When you have a toothache, swish warm water in your mouth to rinse it. Then, you can clean the areas between your teeth using dental floss. If the pain doesn’t stop, you’ll need to schedule an emergency dentist appointment.
Food or Debris Between Your Teeth
There are two reasons why you must visit a dentist when something is wedged between your teeth. The main reason is the constant pain, and the second reason is that your mouth can get infected. You could avoid an emergency dental treatment if you’re able to remove the food or debris yourself with floss. If regular dental floss is too painful, try to extract the food or debris with a soft pick.
Swelling Inside the Mouth
Many dental problems can cause swelling in the mouth. One of the more severe issues is an abscessed tooth. During this situation, make an appointment at a dentist’s office immediately.
Damaged Braces
Braces can break because they have many moving parts. If the wire that connects the braces breaks, try to adjust it to a practical spot to prevent poking. You can also cover the wire with orthodontic wax if you can’t move it. An emergency dentist can help you get immediate relief so that you’ll stay comfortable until your orthodontic appointment.
A Tongue or Cheek Injury
A tongue or cheek injury can cause mild to severe pain. If your cheek or tongue constantly bleeds without stopping, go to an emergency dentist’s office.
What Is a Dental Emergency That Relates to the Jaw?
In the medical world, a broken jaw is considered a dental emergency. Following this type of injury, you can decrease the pain by taking painkillers. You can also put a bag of ice on your jaw until it’s time for the dental appointment.
An Inflamed Wisdom Tooth
When a wisdom tooth pushes through the gum tissue incorrectly, pericoronitis occurs. Pericoronitis is a type of infection. An inflamed wisdom tooth can irritate gum tissue. To get rid of the irritation, you’ll need an emergency dental treatment.
Prevention Strategies
Now that you know the many answers to the question, “What is a dental emergency?” you can take practical steps to avoid these situations. You can use some strategies to help you get started.
Always wear a mouthguard when you play contact sports. It will protect all of your teeth. Also, never try to chew extremely hard foods, such as ice and popcorn kernels. These foods can easily break or chip a tooth.
Brush and floss your teeth every day. Both of these habits will help you maintain a healthy mouth. You’ll also want to go to the dentist’s office regularly for treatments and checkups. During each visit, your dentist will take proper steps to keep your entire mouth in optimum shape.
Contact Lovett Dental Webster
At Lovett Dental Webster, we want to help you through your dental emergency. However, we are also committed to helping you maintain a beautiful smile. To that end, we offer a broad range of services, such as:
If you have a problem that requires emergency dental services, contact Lovett Dental in Webster today at 832-932-5584. We offer dental services for children and adults.
