Most Common Dental Emergencies

It’s uncomfortable to think about dental emergencies, but if you’re aware of the most common situations requiring emergency dental care, you’re better prepared if you encounter one. Dr. George Saliba at Gems Dental is experienced and skilled in providing emergency dental care. If you’re dealing with any such situation, we’re here to help. Here are some to keep in mind.

Knocked-out permanent tooth

Trauma to your teeth is scary. Whether you get hit in the face with a baseball, you’re involved in an automobile accident, or you experience some other kind of accident, if one of your permanent teeth is knocked out, you’re having a dental emergency. 

These next steps give you the best chance of saving your tooth. Clean the dislodged tooth as best you can, but only touch the crown — the part you can see when the tooth is in your mouth. Touching the root can cause damage. 

Remember to keep the tooth moist. If possible, put it back in the socket, again emphasizing not touching the tooth’s root. You can also hold the tooth between your cheek and gum, or keep it in a glass of milk. Further, some tooth preservation products are available at pharmacies. 

Rinse your mouth and apply gauze to help stop the bleeding. You may want to take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine as well. 

Cracked, chipped, or broken tooth

If you’ve cracked a tooth, rinse your mouth with warm, salty water, then apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. 

If you’re bleeding, you can apply gauze to the affected area to slow the bleeding, and if you’re in pain and have the option, taking an over-the-counter pain reliever may help. 

Severe pain

You can also experience a dental emergency without obvious trauma. You may develop tooth pain so debilitating that you can’t eat, sleep, or function. 

There are many potential causes of that kind of pain, including an abscessed tooth. An abscess is an infection that leads to the development of a pocket of puss. Without treatment, an abscess can cause serious complications, perhaps even become life-threatening. The infection can spread to the bone of your jaw, or other areas in your head and neck. 

It’s an emergency if you develop a fever, swelling in your face or neck, or you have problems breathing or swallowing. 

A stuck object

Getting something stuck between your teeth or in your gums can escalate into another type of dental emergency. If it’s a particle of food, the most obvious solution might be to use a toothpick to remove it, but what happens if the toothpick breaks and gets stuck, too? You have a dental emergency. 

A foreign object between your teeth can cause damage to your teeth and gums and lead to an infection. 

Dental emergencies, like any urgent medical situation, can be scary. Knowing what to do, and knowing that we’re here and ready to help, can make it a little less scary. Getting personalized care from a skilled dentist like Dr. Saliba gives you the best chance at a positive outcome when you have a dental emergency. 

If you’d like to learn more about our emergency dental care services, book a consultation at Gems Dental today. You can request an appointment using our easy online scheduling tool, or simply call us at 281-607-1851. Also, you can send us a message here on our website.