How To Take Care Of A Dental Emergency?

When a person is in an emergency dental situation, they can be in pain and discomfort which might make them take the wrong steps if they are not careful. The appropriate thing to do is visit the emergency dentistry immediately for urgent dental care.  So what then are emergency dental situations and non-emergency dental situations?

Dental emergencies are dental problems that need rapid dental treatment. Dental emergencies are not scheduled dental appointments; they are unexpected situations. Unlike other scheduled dental treatments that could take place a few days after the appointment has been made, emergency dental treatments are not left for later; they are taken care of immediately after the dental patient arrives at the dental hospital.

Non-emergency dental situations, on the other hand, are dental situations that can be scheduled for later. They don’t require immediate or urgent dental treatments. This means that the patient can wait and is not in extreme pain or discomfort. Depending on the patient’s dental situation, the dentist can confirm if the dental situation needs urgent care or can be scheduled for later.

A dental emergency is often taken care of by an emergency dentist who is specialized in treating emergency dental patients. Emergency dentists know what to do when an emergency dental patient is brought in. if you are in an emergency dental situation, you can visit the emergency dental care in Conway, SC.

Urgent Dental Situations

There are emergency dental situations that need to be taken care of immediately at the emergency dental unit.

1. Severe Toothache: if you have ever had a toothache, you will understand the kind of pain and discomfort that is related to toothaches. People who suffer from severe toothaches are often placed under pain relief medications. However, if the pain relief medications don’t reduce the pain, the patient must get urgent dental treatment. Toothaches could be caused by different reasons. A person can suffer from toothache due to teeth infections, impacted teeth, and other dental reasons. For teeth infection, the patient can either get root canal therapy or tooth extractions. Also, the patient can get tooth extractions for impacted teeth as well.
2. Knocked-out Tooth: If your tooth comes off unexpectedly during an accident or sports activity, you need to see an emergency dentist. Dentists who offer preventive dental care (a dental procedure that involves diagnosing, prevention, and treatment of dental diseases) often advise that people who are involved in intense sports activities use mouthguards especially children. According to our pediatric dentist in Conway, SC, “children can use mouthguards to protect their dental structure from emergency dental problems like a knocked-out tooth”. In case you require mouthguards and preventive dental care for your child, you can visit a kid dentist near you.
3. Gum Disease (Periodontitis): Although an advanced gum disease starts from a mild stage(gingivitis), the beginning of gum disease is a red light. During dental checkups, dentists often check the teeth structure for all kinds of dental problems. Once the dentist observes a gum infection, immediate treatment is often recommended. This is because when the gum infection advances, it can become a serious problem that even emergency dental care might not be able to solve quickly.
4. Injured Jaw: the jaw bone is very important in creating firmness and alignment to the teeth structure. When a person suffers from a shifted or injured jaw, they are not able to perform teeth activities like talking and chewing. Also, people who suffer from injured jaw could experience severe pain and teeth misalignment. A shifted jaw is indeed an urgent dental situation. You can visit an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a specialist dentist who is experienced and qualified in treating facial and dental irregularities.

Non-urgent Dental Situations

An emergency dental situation that does not require emergency dental care can be scheduled for later. This means that some dental patients can get treatment a few days after their dental appointment has been confirmed. Some of these non-urgent dental problems include;

1. Damaged Restorative Treatments: For instance, a person whose dental crown is damaged would need a new dental crown placement. However, for a new dental crown to be made, the dentist has to check the patient’s dental structure and also prepare another dental crown for the patient. This kind of treatment can be done anytime depending on when the patient is ready. It also depends on when the dentist can get a crown that would fit into the patient’s teeth perfectly.
2. Small Cracked Or Chipped Tooth: some people move on after getting a part of their teeth chipped or cracked. In cases where a patient has a chipped tooth, the dentist can make use of dental fillings to fill up the area that was damaged.
3. Dull Toothache: Unlike a severe toothache that requires immediate treatment, a dull toothache can be managed with pain relief drugs until the dentist confirms the cause of the pain.

In conclusion, one of the best ways to prevent emergency dental situations is through preventive dental care and regular dental appointments. During your dental appointments, your dentist can provide guidelines on what you should do whenever you are faced with an emergency dental situation.

Visit our Conway kids dentist for all issues to your child’s dental health!