When you cut your finger while making dinner, you know to go to the emergency room. Bite into something and break your tooth? Many people would still go to the emergency room to get help, but not everyone would.
Dental emergencies that can’t wait until regular business hours should be sent to an emergency dental office. The question quickly arises: “What is an emergency that needs a dentist vs. an emergency room visit?”
The following are a few common dental emergencies that need to be taken care of by an emergency dentist:
Extreme Toothache
It’s essential to figure out what’s going on with your teeth if you have a toothache. This way, you can get it taken care of. Two of the most common causes of toothaches are infections in the pulp and something stuck between two teeth, like a piece of food. When tooth pain comes on quickly, gets worse, or is very bad, it is essential to see an emergency dentist. In the meantime, a cold compress may help ease some of the pain.
Chips and cracks
When you bite down on hard things, use your teeth for other things, or have an accident, your teeth can get chipped or cracked. People who grind or clench their teeth are more likely to break or chip their teeth. If you have a tooth that has been chipped or broken, you should go to an emergency dentist. It is important to rinse and store any tooth fragments in a glass of milk or water before taking them to your emergency dentist appointment.
People with loose or knocked-out teeth
Emergency dental care is needed if a facial injury makes teeth lose or fall out. As soon as one of your teeth starts to fall out, you should try to keep it in place. By gently biting down on the tooth, you can hold it in place and make sure it doesn’t move. If a tooth has been knocked out, it’s essential to find the missing tooth. It should only be handled by the crown and cleaned if the tooth is found. For example, you can put it back in the socket and bite it down as you would with a loose tooth to keep it in place. In the second place, you can put it in a glass of milk or water like you would a piece of a broken tooth.
An injury to the soft tissues
They are the lips, gums, inside of the cheeks, and tongue. When one of these structures has been hurt, you will want to call your emergency dentist for help. They will tell you where to go. Some people may need to see an emergency dentist, while others may need to go to the emergency room. Warm water should be used to wash away any soft tissue injuries like lacerations, punctures, and tears before applying pressure to stop the bleeding, as this will help stop the bleeding.
Dental Restorations that are missing or loose
Permanent and temporary restorations can become loose or fall out, but this is more common with temporary restorations than with permanent ones. Emergency dental care is needed for both types of restorations, regardless of their kind. For a long-term fix, you’ll need to bring in the restoration service to do it. As long as you have a temporary restoration, Vaseline or chapstick may be able to keep the restoration in place until you can see your dentist again.
All in all, toothaches, chipped or cracked teeth or have been knocked loose or lost, soft tissue injuries, and missing or broken dental restorations are called dental emergencies. Be sure to go to an emergency dentist if you or your family have these dental emergencies. They need to be treated as soon as possible. Most medical emergencies require a trip to the emergency room. Most emergency rooms send dental emergencies back to an emergency dentist. Go to your local emergency dental office right away to save time and pain.
Hope you got a clear understanding of what a dental emergency really is and its importance. To get the best emergency dentist in San Diego, visit Radiant Dental Arts.