Dental emergencies are not only painful, but left untreated can lead to serious health complications. Seeking emergency dentistry Hiram can save lives and reduce the need for expensive treatment later.
If a tooth has been knocked out, rinse the root in water or milk and reinsert within an hour. This will help keep the root alive, minimizing the need for expensive and lengthy treatments.
Toothache
While some tooth pain can be resolved with over-the-counter medication and a scheduled appointment, severe discomfort or swelling often requires immediate attention. Without prompt treatment, dental problems may escalate into serious issues such as infections and abscesses that can cause systemic health concerns.
Infections that develop around the root of a tooth, or in the gum tissue, can be painful and cause swelling. Leaving an infection untreated can also encourage further damage to the teeth and tissues in the area, resulting in the need for additional treatments such as root canals or crowns.
Dental emergencies can also include a cracked or fractured tooth that requires immediate care. This can be caused by accidents or injuries and could expose sensitive parts of the tooth to further damage if left untreated. In some cases, emergency dentists can save these damaged teeth with procedures such as a root canal or dental fillings. In other cases, the tooth might need to be extracted.
Infections
Many dental emergencies involve infections that can spread to other parts of the body and be life-threatening. A dental abscess is a classic example of this; pus collects in the apex, or tip of the root tip, of a tooth and can cause pain and swelling in the gums.
Infections that affect the gums, lips, tongue, or cheeks are also common dental emergencies. In these cases, immediate treatment is necessary to prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of the mouth and to other areas of the body.
Severe or uncontrollable bleeding is another common dental emergency. This type of dental emergency requires immediate attention to control the bleeding and prevent further complications.
Broken Teeth
Dental emergencies can be painful and may cause long-term damage if not promptly addressed. They can occur due to a variety of reasons like severe toothache, serious injuries and infections that threaten the entire health of the gums.
One of the most common emergency dentistry Hiram situations involves broken teeth. This can be caused by biting down on hard substances, sports injuries or accidents such as falls that knock out a tooth. Small chips do not need immediate attention while larger fractures expose the inner layers of the tooth and might get infected.
Knocked out teeth are serious and should be treated immediately to increase the chances of reinsertion. To avoid infection, patients can eat soft foods and apply a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling until they see an emergency dentist. They should also take over-the-counter painkillers to ease discomfort until the appointment. If they have any pieces of the broken tooth, they should store it in milk or saliva and bring it with them to the emergency dentist for assessment.
Broken Jaw
A broken jaw can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. It can also lead to other problems like misalignment of the teeth and chewing problems. In addition, it can make breathing difficult if the blood blocks the airways. Hence, if you have a broken jaw, it is important to seek emergency dental treatment as soon as possible.
The first thing that the dentist will do is to examine you and ask about your symptoms. They will check whether there is any swelling in the area and how much pain you are experiencing. They will then take an x-ray to see the extent of the injury.
If you have a severe fracture, the dentist may need to wire your jaw to facilitate healing. This procedure will cause a lot of pain, so you should always have someone nearby to drive you to the hospital. You should also avoid eating solid foods while you have a wired jaw.
