What Are The Most Common Dental Emergencies?

Dental emergencies are those dental problems that require immediate medical attention. However, not all dental issues are considered emergencies. While facing any such emergency, you must visit your dentist immediately or go to the nearest emergency room. Prompt response and proper first aid can help prevent long-term damage and maintain good oral hygiene.

Some Common Dental Emergencies

• Toothache

Pain can indicate various conditions, including tooth decay. If swelling is present, it requires immediate dental care. Avoid taking painkillers, which can react with affected gums and burn the tissue. Apply a cold compress to the area of pain on your cheek and seek immediate medical attention.

Toothache is always bad news. Sometimes it’s manageable, but ignoring excessive pain can lead to significant damage to your oral health.

• Chipped or broken teeth

A chipped or broken tooth can ruin our beautiful smile and cause extreme pain. It can be caused when you try to chew something too hard. Chipped teeth are those painful dental emergencies that require immediate dental care. 

You must avoid complex food substances and rinse your mouth with warm water. Apply gauze to the bleeding site, and if swelling is present, use a cold compress. Don’t play sports or do activities that can cause teeth to break or chip till recovery.

• Lost filling or crown

Lost filling or crown, if damaged, can cause infection. These treatments restore previously damaged teeth, but if left damaged, it can increase the damage. Urgent dental care is required if you lose filling as your cavity can get infected quickly. 

You can stick sugar-free gum into your cavity to avoid further damage. Or You can store your crown cap in a safe zip lock bag and bring it to your dentist for restoration. These urgent dental problems must be dealt with quickly as they can affect your oral hygiene badly.

• Broken orthodontics

Braces are metal wires designed to enhance your teeth shape. They are tough and can wear and tear daily, but they can poke in your gums if they break. It can cause extreme discomfort, and its pointy metal wires can make your gums bleed. 

Broken Braces can affect the straightening of your teeth and reverse the process. Don’t swallow the wire; try to cover it with orthodontic wax or some cotton balls to avoid getting hurt. Try to adjust the wire in a comfortable position till you get medical attention.

• Bleeding or pain after tooth extraction

After tooth extraction, swelling, and pain are common. But sometimes, due to a loose stitch or some infection, your operated site can start to bleed or cause extreme pain. Ignoring heavy bleeding or intense pain after tooth extraction can be a mistake.

Apply gauze to the bleeding area and avoid rinsing, drinking, or eating. You must also not smoke or suck anything and keep applying pressure by biting the gauze. Visit your dentist during such dental emergencies as soon as you can.

• Abscess

Infections in the mouth are concerning. Conditions near gums on the tooth’s root or between gums and teeth are severe. Abscesses are pimple-like swollen spots that can cause extreme pain. If left untreated, it can infect surrounding teeth and gums as well. 

Contact a dentist during such dental emergencies to resolve your dental issues as soon as possible, or it can infect your whole mouth. You can also apply ice on the swollen area for temporary relief. 

Final Thoughts

Human teeth are strong and sometimes need dental care. Ignoring pain, swelling, or infections can result in huge problems. Your beautiful smile can stay pleasant with a bit of care. Contact the emergency care facility or your dentist in case of any dental emergencies. Always take care of your oral hygiene and maintain good health for your teeth.