Toothaches and Other Dental Emergencies

Getting prompt dental care can help you avoid bigger problems. It can save you from having to pay for expensive dental implants or appliances to fill the gaps left by missing teeth.

It can also prevent complications, such as infection. In addition, it can minimize the pain and discomfort. Contact Emergency Dental Las Vegas now!

Family Dentistry Services | Cumming, GA | Bryan Family Dentistry

A toothache is a common dental problem that many different things can cause. Sometimes, a toothache might be a sign of a serious dental problem that requires emergency treatment. If you are suffering from a toothache, it is best to seek emergency dental services to avoid complications in the future. Toothaches can be very painful and they might also be accompanied by other symptoms like fever, inflammation around the affected area of the mouth, swelling of the gums and a weird taste in your mouth.

Some of the dental problems that might be considered as emergencies actually do not need immediate treatment. Some problems, such as a cracked or chipped tooth, might not cause much pain and can be handled by regular dental appointments. However, it is best to call a dentist if you have a cracked or chipped tooth, and they will let you know if you need to schedule an emergency appointment.

Other serious dental problems that might be considered as emergencies include a tooth that has fallen out, severe bleeding from the gums and a damaged or broken jaw. These situations might require emergency treatment to avoid long-term damage.

Dental injuries can be caused by various things including playing sports, car accidents, falling down and rough play at home. These incidents can lead to a wide range of dental problems, from mild sensitivity to severe pain and swelling. Some of these injuries are minor and can be treated within a few days, while others need immediate attention from an emergency dentist.

One of the most common dental emergencies is a dental abscess. A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that causes an infection and can be very painful. This condition can be life-threatening if left untreated and can cause a high fever, tender lymph nodes in the neck, swollen face, a persistent toothache and bumps on the gums. An emergency dentist will be able to provide relief from the pain and treat the infection effectively. This will prevent the abscess from getting worse and prevent future infections.

A broken tooth may be a dental emergency if it causes severe pain, bleeding or infection. It can also lead to a cracked jaw or damaged gums. In addition, a fractured tooth can be difficult to clean and should be treated immediately by a dentist.

Tooth breaks usually occur when a person bites hard food, ice, or a foreign object. In most cases, minor fractures such as a small chip do not require an emergency visit to the dentist. However, if the break is large or the roots are exposed, the dentist should be notified immediately.

The root of the tooth is a living tissue that contains blood vessels and nerve endings. When the tooth is fractured, the pulp becomes inflamed and sends a signal to the brain to seek immediate treatment. If the patient waits too long, bacteria can infect the pulp and cause a dental emergency, such as severe pain or sensitivity to hot or cold.

To avoid further complications, the dentist will first remove the broken piece of the tooth, if possible, and rinse the remaining fragments. A cold compress can be placed on the outside of the mouth or cheek near the fractured tooth to relieve pain and keep swelling down. It is important to call the dentist right away to schedule an emergency appointment, as it will be easier for the dentist to repair or replace the tooth if it is attended to promptly.

When a person has a broken tooth, they should try to locate any remaining pieces and save them. They should be rinsed and preserved in milk or salt water until they are able to get into the dentist for help. The dentist can either reattach the piece to the remaining portion of the tooth or place a dental crown on it for permanent replacement. A patient should also avoid hard foods until they can see the dentist, as the sharp edges of a broken tooth can be quite uncomfortable. The dentist can also prescribe pain medication to treat the pain and swelling caused by the broken tooth.

A fractured tooth is a serious dental emergency. It can be painful and may result in swelling of the gums. It can also affect other teeth. If you have a fractured tooth, you need to seek treatment immediately.

The most common type of tooth fracture is a fractured cusp, which occurs when a piece of the chewing surface breaks off, usually around a dental filling. A fractured cusp is not as severe as a cracked tooth and doesn’t hurt very much, but it can cause pain when eating. A Seattle emergency dentist can restore the tooth with a dental crown.

Another type of fractured tooth is an oblique root crack, which usually does not appear on the surface of the tooth. This type of crack can be more difficult to diagnose and is more likely to affect the roots of the tooth. An oblique root crack can lead to root canal problems, and it’s often necessary to save the tooth by placing a root canal or a dental crown.

In most cases, it’s important to seek treatment for a fractured tooth as soon as possible. This will help prevent the crack from spreading further, and it will protect the pulp in the tooth from infection. Infection can spread to the bone and gums, causing pain, tender glands, and fever. It can also cause more serious complications, such as bone loss around the cracked tooth.

A crack or break in a tooth that is not treated can lead to the formation of a cyst, which may need to be removed by a dentist. Infection from a cyst can spread to the rest of the mouth and body, so it’s important to get treatment as soon as possible.

A broken tooth doesn’t always happen at convenient times, especially during the night or on weekends. But you should still call your dental office for emergency dental treatment if you experience a toothache or have severe bleeding. They should give you instructions on how to care for your tooth, including using ice packs and saltwater rinses and what foods you should avoid to limit sensitivity.

There are some dental emergencies where tooth extraction is unavoidable, and your dentist often recommends this for the sake of the patient’s long-term oral health. This may be due to impaction, gum disease, tooth decay, overcrowding or traumatic injuries. In most cases, these conditions can be avoided through preventative treatment such as regular dental check-ups and teeth cleanings.

The dentist will likely numb the tooth, jaw bone and gums that surround the area with local anesthetic to reduce discomfort during the extraction process. In more serious cases, sedation or general anesthesia may be necessary. The dentist will then cut away the gum tissue and bone that cover the tooth and use forceps to gently rock the tooth back and forth to loosen it from its ligaments.

After the procedure, your dentist will likely pack a gauze pad into the socket and ask you to bite down on it to stop bleeding. Biting down firmly on the gauze pad encourages a blood clot to form in the empty tooth socket, which is essential for post-extraction healing. In some cases, stitches — usually self-dissolving — may be required to close the socket.

A complication of tooth extraction is called dry socket, which can occur when the blood clot that forms in the empty tooth socket dislodges and exposes an area of the bone and nerves. This condition is more common in smokers and patients with certain medical conditions. Dry socket is also a risk factor for the development of an infection, known as alveolar osteitis.

In the most severe cases, this complication can result in prolonged pain, increased tooth loss, infection and bone loss. The exact pathophysiology is not fully understood, but it is believed that the lack of a fibrin clot results in an open wound at the site of the tooth extraction and exposes the soft, vulnerable underlying tissues to infection.

This is an example of a dental emergency where a thorough risk vs benefit discussion with the dentist is required to ensure that the patient is optimized for surgery. Identifying and considering potential complications before and after the procedure can help healthcare team members better evaluate and treat patients while improving outcomes.