How to Handle Dental Emergencies in Emergency Dentistry

Dental emergencies are surprisingly very common. People often disregard them because they are not as common as other body emergencies. However, at Kids First Dental we handle more oral emergencies that people would expect. For children, dental-related emergencies are more frequent and likely than with adults. This, however, does not exempt adults from them. The thing about health emergencies is that they can occur at any time of the day, and in any location. Figuring out how to manage a health emergency should be your greatest concern. While you think of the nearest ER in Columbia, SC to rush to, how you handle yourself in the meantime makes a huge difference.

More About Emergency Dentistry

It is a specialty of dentistry that caters to all dental emergencies that patients have. Ideally, emergency dentists are trained to respond to the dental problems of their patients with the highest level of urgency. Even though other kinds of dentists can handle oral emergencies, emergency dentists are specially trained for the nature of these dental works. All emergency dental care facilities are fashioned for abrupt measures to help address the problems of patients. This is what makes walk-in dentists different from other types of dentists.

What Dental Problems Are Addressed in Emergency Dentistry?

Any dental problem can become a matter of emergency. It usually depends on how severe the problem is, and how far it progresses from one instance to the other. Some of the dental problems that are emergencies include the following:

• Dental bleeding – this is nothing like a small amount of blood when you bite your cheek or tongue. If the bleeding is out of control, it is indicative of a much serious oral problem.
• Severe toothache – pain is nothing to joke with, especially when it is unbearable.
• Broken tooth – a broken tooth introduces other problems in your oral cavity, including possible jawbone fractures, severe pain, and excessive bleeding.
• Jaw-lock – this is a problem that happens when you have a serious case of temporomandibular joint disorder. The disorder places a lot of pressure on your facial muscles as well as the jawbone. A jaw-lock is where our jaw is stuck on the open-mouth position.
• Wobbly teeth – it is a common symptom of periodontitis. Your entire oral cavity s at risk the moment you notice your teeth shaking. It could indicate a thinning bone tissue, severely infected gum tissue, to mention a few.
• Knocked-out tooth – accidentally removing a mature adult tooth can have several consequences. For one, the pain can be unbearable. The situation also exposes your jawbone to the risk of fractures.

Handling Dental Emergencies at Home

Before you get to an ER, you must take care of your current situation. The idea is to manage the problem and prevent its progression, which can turn into a life-threatening problem. Some of the things you can do include the following:

• Rinse your mouth with water – using salty water for this will help get rid of any bacteria in your mouth. It is also safe to use warm water, to avoid causing sensitivity to hot and cold fluids.
• Save the tooth – if your tooth is knocked out, find it as soon as you can. Avoid touching the root of the tooth to prevent infection. In fact, if you can out back the tooth in its socket, it would be better. Otherwise, put it in salty water to avoid losing it or infecting it.
• Cold compress – a cold compress is a great way to reduce pain and swelling, especially if it holds you from eating. Use an icepack and place it on the cheek that is in pain or swelling. Do this for a couple of minutes until you feel better.
• Control the bleeding – if you have gauzes at home, place them on the bleeding spot to reduce bleeding.
• Avoid sharpies – do not use sharp objects to try to remove foods stuck in your teeth. sharpies can hurt your gums, and even crack your teeth. if a dental floss doesn’t get the job done, wait to get to a dentist.
• Use pain-relievers – if you can access pain-relievers like acetaminophen in your house, use them before you get a hold of your dentist.