How to Handle a Dental Emergency

Dental emergencies can happen at the moment when you least expect them. If you have been in a situation where your teeth/gums have been damaged, then it is essential that you seek dental treatment right away. These emergency dental services are critical to protecting your teeth and avoid bigger problems.

Dental Emergency Examples

There are a variety of circumstances that might result in a dental emergency. Anytime something damages your teeth, then it should be considered a dental emergency. These are some of the situations that might require emergency dental treatments:

• Car accident
• Fistfight
• Sports injury
• Broken or cracked tooth
• Falling
• Toothache

If the teeth are knocked in the wrong way, then it could cause cracks and damage. Often, these emergency situations occur because of blunt trauma or something that caused physical damage to the tooth.

But, there are also emergency dental situations that are unassociated with an accident. If you start to experience tooth pain, then it is possible that you have an infection. Even though trauma didn’t occur, it is still important that you contact a dentist right away.

What to Do for a Dental Emergency

Depending on the situation, there are a few things that you can do to treat your mouth before you see a dentist. If it is a toothache, try rinsing the mouth and using dental floss to see if any food particles are stuck in the gums. If the swelling is present, then it is a good idea to apply ice to decrease the swelling.

Broken or chipped teeth should be protected from additional damage. Save the pieces of the tooth that fell out. Gently rinse the mouth and apply gauze if the area is bleeding. If the entire tooth is knocked out of the mouth, then you should pick up the tooth by the crown and be careful to avoid touching the root. Gently rinse it in warm water without scrubbing it. Store it in milk until you can visit the dentist.

Do You Need to Schedule an Appointment?

Even if you don’t think that you have suffered a serious injury, don’t delay the call to our Bridgeport dental office. Taking fast action can protect the quality of your tooth. In some situations, immediate treatment can save the tooth and help you to avoid long-term damage. Ignoring or procrastinating the dental treatments might result in permanent damage such as tooth loss.

If there is ever a question about whether you should schedule an emergency dental appointment, then the best thing that you can do is call a dentist for more information. Contact us today, and we will gladly schedule an emergency dental visit for you.