Dental emergencies come in a variety of forms and severities. However, what connects them all is the urgency at which they must be addressed – this is what constitutes them as emergencies. Below, we look at the most common dental emergency procedures.
Failing to address most dental emergencies can have disastrous consequences on one’s health and well-being. This pertains both to dental health and other forms of bodily health.
Most Common Dental Emergency Procedures
If you’re experiencing tooth pain or discomfort and are worried that it’s an emergency, or if you’re just interested in staying apprised of what most dental emergencies look like, take a look at this list of some of the most common ones.
1. Cracked Teeth
Cracks in one’s teeth can be a cause of much discomfort and pain if it continues unaddressed. These cracks can appear for a variety of reasons. Oftentimes, they appear from chewing on various substances that cause stress to the teeth, such as ice, bones, or chewy material.
Grinding your teeth in the night can also be a source of these troublesome cracks. If this is an issue for you, consider consulting with your dentist on why you grind your teeth.
Tooth cracks more commonly begin after the age of 50. At this point in life, teeth weaken and begin to become more susceptible to damage.
2. Dental Trauma
Traumatic accidents to the mouth or face can harm and dislodge teeth, leading to a variety of dental emergencies. Depending on the extent of the damage, one can actually salvage dislodged teeth and bring them to your dentist for treatment.
Should this be performed early enough, there’s a chance that your original tooth can be reinserted in a successful dental procedure. An essential part of this procedure is preserving whatever tooth has been lost in the procedure.
If you’re able to, clean your lost tooth with water or milk and store it in a safe place. This will help your dentist later on when they attempt to reinsert it. They will be able to address any other dental trauma incurred from the procedure as well.
3. Severe Tooth Ache
Severe toothache is much more painful than regular toothache and oftentimes requires more or less immediate attention to abate. There are many different causes of severe tooth pain.
Sometimes, pulpal and gum abscesses can also cause severe pain and discomfort in the teeth. In addition, unaddressed wisdom teeth are another common source of this type of dental pain.
Regardless of the source, addressing this pain as quickly and thoroughly as possible is essential for resolving this issue. Your dentist will be able to identify the source of the pain when they examine your dental situation.
4. Filling Loss
If you happen to lose your dental fillings, there’s a possibility that your teeth and gum will become exposed to bacteria that have the potential to cause severe inflammation and pain.
Your dentist can address this bacterial infection and replace your filling with a new one. This is usually a successful procedure that occurs without issue. Removal of the decay that has occurred in between your teeth and the old filling is an essential part of this process.
5. Crown Coming Off
If you are someone who is wearing a temporary dental crown, then it becomes a dental emergency if the crown accidentally comes off. If you’re able to save the lost crown, then reapplying it makes your dentist’s job easier.
You can reapply your crown with Vaseline or a similar substance to act as a temporary fix prior to your dentist providing a more permanent one. Barring any sort of accident, a more permanent crown has the potential to last for years when treated correctly.
Finding The Right Dentist
Emergency dental situations are medical emergencies that need to be treated with care and precision. Finding a dentist suitable for addressing problems like these is an essential part of ensuring that you receive the best care.
In general, the following qualities can help you to select the right dentist for your needs:
- Find one with a good reputation
- Find one accessible in case of emergency
- Find one within your budget
- Find a dentist with proper facilities and equipment
Keeping an eye out for these qualities can help ensure you receive the highest level of care available.
The Dentist of Choice for Long Beach
Innovative Smiles of Long Beach prides itself on delivering the best dental service available to the residents of Long Beach and beyond. If you’re suffering from tooth pain and are worried it’s an emergency, contact us today to set up an appointment with our emergency dentist and start changing your teeth today.
