Dental Emergencies: Key Steps to Take and When to Seek Help

Published 12:30 pm Wednesday, October 2, 2024

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A toothache can be so severe that a person cannot do anything but wait for an appointment with a doctor. Unfortunately, no one is immune to this, including those who carefully protect their health. At the same time, it is important to understand when exactly you need emergency dental care and what steps you should take to get it in time.

Common Dental Emergencies

You need to see a doctor immediately when a toothache cannot be ignored. It becomes so severe that a person is unable to eat, drink, or sleep. It often becomes difficult to speak. If you have these symptoms, it is worth contacting emergency dental care Queens NY. There is no need to make an appointment. Urgent medical treatment is always provided on the same day.

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During the visit, you need to describe the cause in detail. The most common dental emergencies are the following:

  • Lost filling;
  • Knocked out tooth;
  • Severe bleeding of the gums;
  • Broken tooth;
  • Lost crown;
  • Severe toothache;
  • Swelling of the gums or the entire cheek;
  • Exposed tooth nerve;
  • Tooth abscess.

Key Steps to Take for Each Emergency

Pain often prevents you from thinking logically. However, in a dental emergency, you should act quickly and reasonably. It’s important not to take painkillers, even though you may want to do so first. Because of such actions, the dentist will not be able to make the correct diagnosis. And under such conditions, treatment is impossible. At the same time, to receive help as soon as possible, you should pay attention to the steps described below.

  1. Calm down. Breathe deeply. Focus on your problem and try to assess the situation. Of course, the feeling of pain is an individual thing, but you should determine its degree on a scale from one to ten. This information will be useful for the dentist.
  2. Contact your doctor. In emergencies, no appointment is required. You can get detailed information from the operator.
  3. Apply first aid. This will help relieve the pain. Put ice on the painful areas or rinse your mouth with warm water.
  4. Do not eat any food. Drink only lukewarm water.
  5. After receiving emergency dental care, follow all recommendations.

When to Seek Professional Help

Quite often, patients do not understand which cases can be considered to require emergency dental care. As a result, they endure pain and delay, thus complicating it. In order not to harm yourself, pay attention to the situations in which you urgently need to see a doctor.

  1. Injury to the jaw.
  2. Acute toothache that prevents you from eating, drinking, sleeping, and sometimes even speaking.
  3. Inflammatory processes. They can be accompanied by swelling of the face near the teeth.
  4. Tooth loss due to injury. If the tooth has fallen out with the root and the patient takes it to the dentist within 30 minutes, there is a chance of complete engraftment. However, in this case, you need to act quickly.
  5. Heavy bleeding due to a diseased tooth.
  6. A combination of symptoms such as high fever, general weakness, and a specific putrid breath. They indicate serious problems with the tooth or the entire oral cavity.

Preventing Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies are rare rather than common. They are usually accompanied by acute pain and subsequent, quite lengthy treatment. So, if there is an opportunity to avoid such a scenario, it is worth taking advantage of it. Prevention of dental emergencies involves constant care of the health of the teeth and the entire oral cavity. Mandatory actions include the following:

  1. Brushing your teeth twice a day.
  2. Choosing quality care products. This applies to the brush, dental floss, toothpaste (preferably individually selected), and rinse aid.
  3. Consuming proper, balanced, and nutrient-rich foods
  4. Learning the basic rules of first aid in dental emergencies.
  5. Proper chewing and consumption of crunchy vegetables and fruits.
  6. Schedule examinations at the dentist at least twice a year.
  7. Professional tooth cleaning. It helps effectively remove plaque.
  8. Remineralizing procedures to saturate the teeth with nutrients.
  9. Elimination of foods harmful to teeth, which are high in sugar and acids.
  10. Rinsing your mouth after eating.
  11. Storing contacts of dentists who can help in case of an emergency.

Conclusion

Oral health is vital to the overall well-being of your organism. However, even if you take good care of it, no one is guaranteed against an accident. So, we recommend that you know what to do in a dental emergency. Learn the basic methods and means of first aid. At the same time, you should not take painkillers, otherwise it will be difficult for the doctor to diagnose the disease. Thus, the efficiency and clarity of the patient’s actions can significantly help in case of dental emergencies.