When to Seek Emergency Dental Care and Tips on Avoiding Dental Emergencies

Accidents have no warnings. Despite our best efforts to avoid accidents, they somehow still occur. Disaster can strike at any time, and thus, emergency services are critical in every field.

Typically, it’s advisable to have a routine dental checkup every six months. This checkup includes an exam, cleaning, and consultation. However, you may need to see a dentist for a dental emergency before it’s time for your routine checkup.

Dental emergencies range from minor tooth emergencies to critical dental complications. They often come with severe pain, discomfort, and bleeding gums, depending on the circumstances. Primarily, an emergency procedure is required to address the pain and discomfort. Dental emergencies need immediate assistance to avoid the problem worsening.

In case of an emergency, the goal is to get to a dental facility that offers emergency dental services as soon as possible, such as Beautiful South Shore Smiles. While last-minute online appointments are sometimes possible, calling your dentist directly is a better alternative.

Reasons That May Prompt Emergency Dental Treatment

• Sports accidents

According to the American Dental Association, the leading cause of dental tooth damages in adults is playing sports. These statistics are also the same in children.

• Car accidents

Car accidents are also a major cause of teeth injury. These accidents may cause teeth to break or pop out. However, a dentist can reattach a knocked-out tooth if it was preserved appropriately in saliva or milk.

During accidents, teeth and their surrounding gum tissue are prone to injuries. In case of such complications, dental care is paramount. Since emergency rooms in most hospitals do not treat teeth damage, it’s best to seek an emergency dental office if an accident affects the teeth.

• Persistent toothaches

Toothaches can be quickly relieved by over-the-counter medication. If the pain does not disappear, the situation could be more severe than you originally thought. Persistent toothaches cause sleepless nights. It may be caused by a bacterial infection that has developed gradually without the knowledge of the patient. Also, it may be a sensitive tooth or a fractured tooth.

• Damaged tooth

A tooth with a minor cavity or a fractured, broken, or chipped tooth is a damaged tooth. If this minor damage is not addressed, it can become a goliath dental problem. Tooth decay may follow and result in teeth removal.

• Bleeding gums

Severe bleeding of the gum indicates an underlying infection. It may be gum disease or a bacterial tooth infection. Emergency dental care is needed because it’s easier to control both conditions in the early stages.

• Lost or damaged prosthetics

People with crowns, fillings, veneers, inlays, or onlays should seek immediate dental assistance if anything happens to the artificial teeth restorations. When they are not in the mouth, these prosthetics can get damaged easily. In such a situation, you should seek immediate care to avoid exposing vulnerable parts of the teeth.

How to Avoid Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies can usually be avoided by strictly following routine oral care. However, maintaining regular preventative checkups with the dentist can be challenging given our busy lifestyles.

• Learning

While it may be challenging to visit the dentist regularly for preventative oral care, it’s possible to learn good dental care habits. Equipped with that knowledge, you can avert most teeth-related emergencies.

• Oral hygiene

Maintaining good oral hygiene is easy. Just brush and floss your teeth daily, change your toothbrush regularly, and avoid using your teeth to open bottles or bite rigid objects.

• Mouthguard

When taking part in sports, put on a mouthguard. If possible, wear a mouthguard in both contact and non-contact sports.

Conclusion

Often, we overlook the benefits of a healthy mouth until things start going south. Constant neglect of your dental hygiene can cause you to require emergency dental services at some point in your life. That’s why it’s important to maintain good dental care habits and routine dental checkups.

For more information on dental emergency services, visit or contact Beautiful South Shore Smiles. We can help you restore your oral health.