5 Signs That Indicate You Should See an Emergency Dentist
Dental emergencies will always catch you flat-footed. You will never anticipate when you might need emergency dentistry in Terre Haute, IN. You might be out with your friends, at a picnic with your family, or at work when you need an emergency dentist near you.
Another thing that you might notice about dental emergencies is that they can happen to anyone at any time. This might make you feel as though there is no need to plan for one. However, you can reduce some of your stress by planning for one.
First, get the contacts of our dentist Terre Haute, Indiana. This will mean that if you are in an emergency, you can contact our emergency dentist near you, who will guide you while you make your way to our office.
Secondly, equip yourself with the right information. Knowing what to do and how to respond during a dental emergency can help you get help much quicker. Therefore, look at the five signs that will help you know that you are in a dental emergency.
- Knocked-Out Tooth
If your teeth have been knocked out, time is not your friend. Every minute that passes means that the chances of our dentist reattaching the tooth diminishes. Our dentist can reattach the tooth if you can get treatment within 30 minutes.
You can try and do the following while you make your way to our office:
- Carefully pick the tooth with the crown and not the root. Gently rinse it to remove dirt and any other foreign matter
- Rinse your mouth and try to reattach the tooth. If this is challenging, you can place the tooth in milk or between the gums and cheek to keep it moist
- Control the bleeding using gauze
- Abscessed Tooth
When the enamel is compromised, the inner parts of your tooth will be exposed. This will mean that bacteria will find their way to your tooth roots. If this happens, you can have an infection. This infection is potentially fatal and is characterized by fever, toothache, tooth sensitivity, foul breath, and bumps on your gums.
At times, there can be a pus-filled pocket at the tip of the root. If you don’t receive treatment, the infection may spread to your jaw bone and even to other parts of your body. Therefore, once you notice that you have an abscessed tooth, contact us.
- Broken or Cracked Tooth
Teeth are very sturdy, but they aren’t indestructible. Trauma can cause them to break or crack. In most cases, cracks may not be painful. However, if the crack has reached the roots or a massive chunk of your tooth has broken off, you might feel a lot of pain. This might expose the nerves, which can get damaged if you don’t seek emergency dental care. Our dentist will check to see if your nerves are still intact and okay. If they aren’t, then you may need to undergo a root canal.
- Cuts, Lacerations, and Tears
Soft tissue injuries are considered dental emergencies, especially when there is excessive blood loss. If this happens, try and rinse your mouth with warm water. Then, you can use gauze to reduce the bleeding while making your way to our office.
- Loose Permanent Teeth
Permanent or adult teeth are supposed to be firmly anchored in the jaw. However, if you have loose permanent teeth, there is a problem, and you need to come to visit our dentist to get it checked out. If you keep on postponing, then you risk losing your teeth.
Additional Tips
The above signs are just some of the issues that can pass for dental emergencies. However, there are still some scenarios that can be dental emergencies and are not mentioned above. Therefore, you can ask yourself the following questions to tell if what you are facing is a dental emergency:
- Is my jaw locked?
- Do I have persistent pain that radiates from the jaw to the ear or neck?
- Am I bleeding incessantly?
- Are my gums swollen and tender, and have a fever?
- Is my pain severe and persistent?
- Can my issue be solved the next day?
The above questions are guidelines to help you decipher if your situation calls for emergency dental care. Answering yes to the above questions indicates that you need immediate medical attention.
Contact our dentist at Staley Family Dentistry if you need emergency dentistry in Terre Haute, IN.