5 Reasons to Visit an Emergency Dentist Now

What Is Emergency Dental Treatment?

Emergency dental treatment refers to any treatments that alleviate sudden and severe dental pain, bleeding, or trauma. The treatments usually address urgent oral problems that can potentially accelerate in severity, causing major complications.

Dental emergencies often occur unexpectedly yet demand immediate attention to prevent further damage or infection.

What Causes Dental Emergencies?

Depending on the type of complication, dental emergencies occur due to various factors, including:

1. Trauma: A blow to the mouth or face can cause dislodge teeth, fractures, or open wounds, all common dental emergencies.
2. Tooth decay: Untreated cavities deepen and allow damage to inner soft tissues, leading to dental emergencies like severe toothaches, abscesses, or infections.
3. Gum disease: Advanced gum disease causes the gums to recede and the teeth to loosen or even fall out. All these symptoms necessitate emergency dental treatment.
4. Impacted wisdom teeth: Impacted wisdom teeth occur when a tooth improperly erupts, remaining partially or wholly stuck under the gums. Such teeth can cause severe symptoms like pain, swelling, and infection, requiring emergency dental care.
5. Poor oral habits: Teeth grinding at night, using teeth as tools, and chewing hard food and non-food items can fracture your teeth, requiring emergency dental care.

How Do I Know I Need an Emergency Dentist?

Several situations may need you to see an emergency dentist near you. Here are some common examples:

1. A severe toothache causing you a lot of pain – could be a sign of a serious dental issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
2. Broken or chipped tooth – depending on the severity of the fracture, an emergency dentist can repair or remove the damaged tooth.
3. Knocked-out tooth – often due to an accident or injury. Dr. ROBERT H. ELLIS – III at Kids First Dental may be able to save the tooth if you act quickly.
4. Abscessed – is a painful infection in the mouth featuring a pocket full of pus and other fluids. It forms around the gums, near an infected tooth. Abscesses are dangerous if left untreated.
5. Lost filling or crown – a dislodged dental restoration exposes your tooth structure, making it difficult to eat or drink.

Benefits of Visiting an Emergency Dentistry Immediately

Whether you realize it yet or not, emergency dentistry in Conway, SC, plays a significant role in your dental health. Some of the areas it will benefit you are:

1. Pain relief – Urgent care treatments are quick to alleviate and eliminate severe dental pain, providing immediate relief to improve your overall quality of life.
2. Preventing further damage – Prompt dental care can prevent further damage or infection to the surrounding area of the mouth, reducing the need for more extensive treatment in the future.
3. Saving a tooth – If you partially or fully dislodge your natural tooth accidentally, immediate dental care by a dentist in Conway, SC, can increase the chances of saving the tooth by repositioning or stabilizing it.
4. Early detection and treatment of oral health issues, such as gum disease or tooth decay – Before they become more severe and require more extensive treatment.
5. Improved overall health – Oral health is closely linked to general body health. Therefore, prompt dental care by a dentist near you can prevent severe complications like bacteria from spreading through the bloodstream to other body parts.

Can You Avoid Visiting an Emergency Dentist Now?

If you have a pressing and severe oral complication, you cannot help by visiting your nearest emergency dentist. Besides, the longer you delay treatment, the more likely you are to develop advanced and permanent complications.

Even then, you should not frequently be visiting an emergency dentist. Instead, you can employ measures to protect your mouth and general health. They include:

1. Practice good oral hygiene: Brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once daily to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease by eliminating plaque and tartar buildup.
2. Wear a mouthguard: If you play contact sports or grind your teeth, wearing a mouthguard can help protect your teeth from trauma. You may need a mouth protector for night usage if you excessively grind your teeth in your sleep.
3. Avoid hard or sticky foods: Chewing ice or popcorn kernels can break your teeth, as eating sticky foods pull out dental restorations like fillings or crowns.
4. Visit your dentist regularly: Regular dental checkups and cleanings detect and treat oral health issues before they become more serious and require emergency dental care.
5. Address dental problems early: Don’t wait to seek treatment when things are worse and often severe. Early intervention prevents the need for emergency dental care.