Identify The 5 Most Common Dental Emergencies And How To Prevent Them
In a perfect world, you would never need to see a dentist for an emergency. Unfortunately, the world is rarely perfect and even those that take excellent care of their teeth may find themselves staring at a dental emergency.
It certainly helps to book a regular visit to your dentist St Leonards, they are likely to identify any issues and treat them early, before they become a bigger problem or you need emergency help. In fact, regular dental visits and twice-daily brushing are two of the best ways to prevent dental emergencies.
- Previous Dental Work Damaged
Most fillings and crowns have a finite life. Your dentist should know when this is and be able to replace them before an issue occurs. However, even if you see a dentist regularly it is still possible for the crown or filling to accidentally be dislodged.
In this instance, you need emergency help. The sooner you see the dentist the quicker the issue can be repaired. If left the damaged area is more likely to experience further decay.
- Toothache
This is one issue that most people will experience at least once in their life. Toothache happens when bacteria have managed to get inside your tooth and they are antagonizing your nerves. Of course, a quick flash of pain is probably due to drinking or eating something too hot or too cold. But, if the pain lasts longer than a day or two you probably have a deep cavity or infected tooth.
The sooner you see the dentist the better as they will need to treat the infection before repairing your tooth.
- Bleeding Gums
Bleeding gums, especially if they occur for no reason or only when you brush your teeth, suggest you have gum disease. In its early stages, this is treatable. If left it usually leads to weakened teeth, gums, and bone, which often results in the loss of your teeth.
- Knocked-Out Teeth
Trauma, such as a car accident or sporting injury can knock one or more teeth out of your mouth. It’s painful and worrying. You will need emergency dental assistance. If possible you should find the teeth that have been knocked out and rinse them to ensure they are clean. Then, bring them to the dentist. The best option is to put them in a glass of milk as this helps them to stay healthy.
If you have the teeth and the dentist sees you quickly there is a good chance they can put them back in.
- Chipped Teeth
This doesn’t always classify as an emergency but you will need to make a dental appointment as soon as possible. A cracked or chipped tooth is usually not repairable. But, because it is damaged it is likely to allow bacteria in which will cause an infection deeper into your tooth and cause more complications in the near future.
Cracked teeth can sometimes be repaired. If not, the dentist is likely to fit a crown, protecting the tooth and keeping your teeth looking great.