Introduction
Just like accidents, dental emergencies are unplanned events that can cause tremendous discomfort. Leaving a dental emergency unattended can lead to a spread of infection or even cause permanent damage.
What are the common dental emergencies? What should you do when they come up? In this article, we provide answers to your pertinent questions on dental emergencies.
Kindly read further for more information.
What is Emergency Dentistry?
Emergencies can occur at odd hours of the night or on weekends. Emergency dentistry near Houston provides immediate care to patients to prevent infections and permanent damage. It would be best to get emergency dentistry near you whenever you have a severe toothache, broken tooth, or loose fillings.
When Do You Need Emergency Dentistry?
Emergency dentistry in Houston, TX, is needed when you have dental emergencies, including severe toothache, swollen jaws, knocked-out tooth, bleeding gums, dental abscess, and broken tooth.
Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies left unattended can result in severe situations. Immediately you have an emergency, consult your dentist near Houston. Emergency dentistry in 77075 provides prescriptions to relieve pain and prevent infections. This section discusses steps you can take in different emergency scenarios before you reach a dental clinic.
Broken Tooth
Clean your mouth by rinsing your mouth with a salt solution. You can also use pain relievers like ibuprofen and apply pressure with a cold compress in case of swelling.
Missing Crown
Use an over-the-counter dental cement to hold the crown in place before r4eaching the clinic. It is not advisable to use glue.
Severe Toothache
A severe toothache can leave you in tremendous pain. Before visiting the dental clinic, rinse your mouth with salt solution, and if there’s any swelling, apply a cold compress. Pain relievers like ibuprofen are also suitable for relieving pain.
Cracked Tooth
Cracked teeth are prone to developing bacterial infections. Use a salt solution to rinse your mouth and apply a cold compress on any swollen area before visiting the clinic
Knocked-out Tooth
In this case, rinse the displaced tooth carefully and avoid scrubbing. If you try placing the tooth back in position and it doesn’t stay, preserve the tooth in fresh milk. This increases the chances of a dentist saving the tooth when you reach the clinic
Dental Abscess
Infection in the tooth root or gums causes dental abscess. Before visiting a clinic, rinse your mouth with a salt solution to limit the spread of the infection.
Bleeding Gums
It is pretty difficult to stop bleeding before reaching the clinic. All you can do to reduce bleeding is to elevate your head to minimize the bleeding and visit a dental clinic immediately
Stuck Objects
If you have stuck items in your teeth, use dental floss to remove such items. If floss does not work, contact your dentist immediately. Do not use sharp objects to remove anything stuck between your teeth.
Loose Braces
Loose braces can injure your mouth. You can hold the braces in place with an orthodontic wax pending the time you will see an emergency dentist.
What Should You Expect from An Emergency Dentist?
When you go for emergency dentistry near Houston, the dentist near Houston will examine your mouth and discuss your symptoms with you. For dental emergencies that require surgeries or root canal treatment, you may not undergo the procedure there and then. Instead, the dentist will prescribe medication and book you an appointment with a specialist
How Can You Prevent Dental Emergencies?
Although dental emergencies are unplanned, the following measures can reduce the likelihood of developing these emergencies.
- Maintain your oral hygiene
- Eat a balanced and healthy diet
- Visit your dentist regularly for examinations
- Avoid eating hard foods
- Use a mouthguard during sports
- Reduce intake of sugary foods and drinks
- Do not chew your nails or non-food items
Conclusion
Dental emergencies cause severe pain. If you have a broken tooth, dental abscess, missing tooth, or severe toothache, contact emergency dentistry in 77075 immediately.