What Are The Most Common Dental Emergencies?

Dental emergencies can be stressful, and they can also pose a threat to your dental health. Problems such as cracked teeth, toothaches, missing teeth, or discomfort caused due to a crown may be considered significant issues that need immediate attention. Your teeth can suffer permanent damage if you ignore dental problems for a long time, necessitating a more extensive and expensive treatment process.

What Is A Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies are referred to as potentially life-threatening conditions that require immediate care to stop continuous bleeding or alleviate discomfort or pain. Some of the examples of dental emergencies are:

  • Uncontrolled bleeding 
  • Cellulitis or infection in the soft tissue along with swelling can compromise a patient’s airway
  • Trauma on the facial bones that ultimately obstructs the airway and cause difficulty while breathing
  • Jaw pain or toothache

5 Common Dental Emergencies You Should Know

Dental emergencies happen more frequently than you imagine and can occur anywhere and anytime. We have provided some of the common dental emergencies in the section below. 

1. Infected Teeth

A severe tooth infection can also be considered a dental emergency. It can result in a tooth abscess, which is a pus-filled pocket caused by bacterial infection. The infection can invade your gums and potentially harm the jaw’s nerve endings if it is not treated on time. Facing such a situation can make you suffer from a fever or feel excruciating pain. Consult with an emergency dentist near your location if you have a throbbing toothache that won’t go away or if you suspect having a dental infection.

2. Bleeding Gums and Teeth

Bleeding in your oral cavity can signify you are suffering from gum disease or periodontal problems. You may have gingivitis or gum disease if you experience bleeding within your mouth. Even if there’s no reason to panic right away, you should still visit your dentist to have it checked as early as possible. You need to know that blood in your saliva can be a prominent sign of advanced gum disease or cancer stages.

3. Mouth Sores

Mouth sores can develop as a result of canker sores or abrasions of braces inside the mouth. They can also be an early sign of gum disease. Detecting a gum disease at an early stage is often key to effective treatment. It gives you the scope to adopt preventive measures and prevent mouth sores from worsening. Though it is easy to think that using an antibacterial gel will be enough, it is still recommended to consult your dentist.

4. Broken or Knocked-Out Tooth

There are countless reasons why a tooth can break or become loose. The good news is that, despite the discomfort, a knocked-out tooth can usually be restored with a simple procedure, provided you act immediately and carefully handle the dislodged (or avulsed) tooth. Make an effort to contact your dentist within 30 minutes of the tooth falling out. Be careful to touch the tooth solely by the crown.

5. Broken Jaw

A jaw dislocation caused by a yawn or an unusually broad sandwich may sound silly, but it happens more frequently than you may imagine. The jaw is also one of the bones in the body that breaks most happen. Some of the most common causes include sports injuries, traffic accidents (especially involving motorbikes, bicycles, and scooters), and falls. 

Some of the common causes include sports injuries, traffic accidents (especially involving motorbikes, bicycles, and scooters), and falls. The best way to treat a fractured jaw is at a hospital, but it can also cause your teeth to be out of alignment (otherwise known as malocclusion). Your dentist can help you determine whether a broken jaw has caused any long-term harm to your dentition. 

Conclusion

We hope you now clearly understand the common types of dental emergencies. Always know that panicking during a dental emergency can make the situation much more challenging to handle. You need to calm yourself first and think with a straight mind. Call a dentist near you to book an appointment and get the best treatment for your dental emergency.

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