Your tooth is aching. It is so painful that you can’t concentrate on anything or sleep. Painkillers aren’t even working. But here is the thing, it is in the middle of the night or weekend or holiday. Most dental services are closed, so what do you do? Is this a dental emergency or not?
When this happens, you are most likely to call for an emergency dentist. But the question is, what counts as a dental emergency?
There is a difference between the usual dental issues and a dental emergency. Usual dental issues can wait until regular working hours, but emergencies can't, so what counts as an emergency?
First, you have to determine whether it can wait till regular hours or not. To resolve this, you need to ask yourself a few questions;
- Have you lost your tooth? Can it be saved?
- How severe is your tooth pain?
- Are you bleeding?
- Is the tooth loose?
A dental emergency consists of issues related to severe pain, bleeding or saving a tooth. So, what are the common dental emergencies?
- Knocked-out teeth
You might be playing ball, or something hit you and knocked out your teeth. With quick and correct actions, the knocked-out teeth can be potentially saved.
But what do you do when your teeth are knocked out? First, carefully pick it up by the top part and don't touch the root. Rinse the tooth. If possible, you can reinsert it in the socket. If not, place the tooth in a glass of milk and get to the dentist as quickly as possible.
- Cracked or chipped tooth
Usually, a cracked tooth does not count as an emergency if the crack happens on the outside. However, if the crack touched the inside part of the tooth, you need a dentist immediately.
So what do you do when your tooth chips or cracks? First, rinse your mouth with warm water. Apply a cold compress to your cheek to avoid swelling. Take pain relief if possible to relieve pain and get to the dentist as soon as possible.
- Tooth infection
This happens when a pocket of pus in your tooth causes an infection. It is a potentially life-threatening condition as the pus can spread to the neck and face. Infections cause the neck and cheek to swell too. In case you have a tooth infection, you need to see your dentist.
In case of a dental emergency, contact Admire dentistry. Visit our website to make an appointment. We promise to take care of your teeth.