A Couple Of True Dental Emergencies
Posted on: 18 December 2019
When your teeth are causing pain in your mouth, it seems like everything else in your life is bad too. When the problems begins in the evening or on the weekend, chances are your dentist is not going to be in their office. Luckily, most larger cities, and quite a few small ones, have some type of emergency dental care. Of course, before you go to an unfamiliar dental practitioner, it is a good idea to take a few minutes to consider whether the situation is truly an emergency or not. Here are some things to consider.
Pain Level
Of course, you need to be honest with yourself when determining how much pain you are in. Is the pain constant or only when you try to chew? Does it distract you from doing anything else? If you are unable to move your mouth at all without wanting to scream or cry out, the pain is pretty bad and you should head to a dentist. Now is not the time to downplay the pain either. If it hurts, it hurts, get it taken care of so you can eat, sleep, talk, and play.
Swelling, Bleeding, Pus
If a portion of your mouth is swollen, bleeding, or oozing pus, you need to see a dentist fast. Whether it is an abscess, impacted tooth, or a bad cut in your mouth, you are probably going to need some type of antibiotic. An infection in your mouth can travel through your bloodstream to other organs. An abscessed tooth may be the cause of a lung or heart infection that lands you in the hospital. Do not mess around with this type of problem by waiting until your dentist is back in their office. Seek emergency help.
Broken or Knocked-out Tooth
If something happens that causes a tooth to break or get knocked out of your mouth, a dentist is going to be your only chance at saving the tooth or fixing the problem. When a tooth is broken, it can be quite painful as the nerve is exposed to air and every time you breathe in or out through your mouth or talk it is going to cause pain. In addition, having an open tooth will allow bacteria to enter your body. Finally, eating on a broken tooth hurts and allows food particles to get lodged in the break where they can decay. If a tooth has been knocked out, an emergency dentist can put it back into the socket and secure it so the gums and bone have time to heal and hold it in place again.
If you cannot find an open emergency dentist in your area, consider going to the hospital emergency room. They will do all they can to help you until you can get to the dentist. Contact an emergency dental care clinic for more information.
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