A Guide To The Most Common Dental Emergencies And Their Treatments

*This is a collaborative post.

Dental emergencies are rare for most of us, but they can happen to anyone. Knowing about the types of treatments that you might require in the event of one of these emergencies can better prepare you, especially if you’re not particularly fond of going to the dentist in the first place. If you have suffered an accident and require dental care as soon as possible, try not to avoid making the call as these problems can often develop into worse ones. 

Toothache

You might think that this wouldn’t warrant emergency treatment, but toothache can be incredibly painful and distressing. There is rarely a way to alleviate the pain and due to the sensitivity of the nerves in your teeth and gums, this pain can radiate around your entire head. While sorting the pain out is important, toothache is actually a sign that there is a more serious problem going on, which could develop into something much more sinister. 

Some dentists suggest using a cold compress to reduce symptoms like pain and swelling, but really you should visit your dentist as soon as possible to avoid things getting worse. Infections between the teeth is actually a common cause of toothache and this will likely require cleaning and medicating to defeat. Other problems include abscesses and tooth decay or even a break in the tooth that you’ve not noticed. 

Chipped Or Cracked Teeth

This can happen a few different ways, but it tends to be during some form of physical accident. Playing contact or extreme sports often require protective gear to reduce the damage to both your head and your teeth, such as helmets or mouth guards, but sometimes these either don’t work the way they’re meant to, or they’re not actually worn. A chipped tooth from taking a blow to the head obviously requires more attention from professional doctors to check for concussion and other serious issues. But once you’ve been cleared by your doctor, it’s time to speak to your dentist to see what they can do about your broken tooth. 

For small cosmetic damages, your dentist can build your tooth back up using a type of resin. Check out Fulham Road Dental’s blog to learn more about composite bonding and see if this is something you could benefit from. This resin looks almost, if not entirely identical to the rest of your tooth, and a great dentist can make it look like no break has happened at all.

Knocked Out Teeth

In some accidents, teeth can get fully knocked out. There is no way to save your tooth in this situation, even if you’ve not lost the tooth itself. Once it’s been dislodged from your gums fully, the blood vessels attaching the tooth to your gums will have been severed and this will account for the bleeding. Visiting an emergency dentist is incredibly important here, although depending on the damage to your mouth, you’ll probably need to visit A&E if you have soft tissue damage as you may require stitches and further medical attention. Similar to having a chipped tooth, losing a tooth will still require that dental visit and there are a number of different treatments for this problem. 

Dental Bridge

The first option here is the dental bridge. When you’ve lost a tooth, filling the gap should really be done sooner than later, especially if it’s a tooth at the front of your mouth. A gap like this will not only impair your ability to eat and even your speech, but it can also be incredibly damaging to self-confidence when speaking to others. A dental bridge is where one or more fake teeth are attached to each other and also two crowns on either side. These crowns are fitted over your real teeth that sit on either side of the gap, and those teeth may have to be filed down so that the crowns can be securely attached. Bridges are not designed to be removable, and are a very durable, permanent solution to missing teeth.

Dental Implant

Another solution for a gap in your smile is to have a titanium fixture implanted into your jawbone which serves as a sort of root. This fixture can then have a crown or even a full bridge screwed into it and is a very secure option for a tooth replacement. These tend to only be available privately in most cases although there are some exceptions. 

Partial Dentures

Another option for missing teeth, is the partial denture. A full set of dentures would be used to replace all of your teeth, however it’s possible to have partial dentures when only one or a few teeth are missing. These tend to be a better choice if your gums and jaw are weakened, either by age or illness and are therefore more often chosen for elderly people. These can be removed unlike implants and bridges however, and so can be cleaned fairly easily. 

Whether you are wanting a dentist Swindon or an emergency service in another area, don’t suffer when there is a dental service there to help.