• Blogs

3 Sep, 2019

What Is Emergency Dentistry?

Are you well prepared for dental emergencies? Avoid stress and bigger problems by learning about emergency dentistry

Emergency dentistry is a dental department concerned with unforeseen dental issues that require immediate attention. Picture situations where you get into a fight or an accident that knocks out a tooth or more. Or maybe you are suddenly experiencing extreme tooth pain that cannot wait for your regular dentist appointment. In situations like these, the sooner you get medical help, the quicker the problem will be solved and possibly avoid even greater damage to your dental health. This is why you need to familiarize yourself with an emergency dental clinic that is exclusively dedicated to handle emergency cases.

Why it is Important to Know an Emergency Dentist

Saves you the panic and stress during an emergency

Finding an emergency dentist in Huntington Beach, CA can be overwhelming, especially in the time of an accident or urgent medical need. And even if you knew of a good dentist, there is no guarantee that they may be available to see you on short notice. Therefore, it is important and much easier for you to search for an emergency dentist before an emergency happens. Look through various clinics and identify which ones are well equipped to handle a range of dental emergencies, then make your pick.

Ensures faster treatment

The sooner you get medical help following an accident can make a big difference between saving your tooth or losing it. There is also the risk of infections that comes with dental injuries, and faster treatment means you can avoid additional health issues. So, besides ensuring quick relief for your injury, emergency care will significantly reduce possible side effects of an injury.

When Would You Need to Visit an Emergency Dentist?

Chipped or broken tooth

In case you break or chip your teeth, it is good for a dentist to examine the extent of damage so as to provide a suitable solution. If a cracked or broken tooth is left untreated, it can sometimes lead to infections such as sepsis or osteomyelitis which is an infection of the bone. You may also develop an abscess which is very painful. Chipped or broken teeth can be restored with dental crowns.

Knocked out tooth

Do you know that a knocked-out tooth is not always lost for good? If you can get assistance in good time, dentists can successfully replant the tooth and it will continue to function properly. However, you need to act fast. Find the lost tooth and within the shortest time get to a dental clinic to se what can be done to help. Dentists will check to see if the tooth was completely knocked and that no parts of the root are still attached. Thereafter a suitable prognosis will be offered.

Tooth pain and swelling

You may assume that a toothache is normal, but in most cases, it is a sign of an underlying problem. If all attempts to alleviate tooth pain and swelling are futile, instead of waiting to see your dentist at your regular appointment, you can consider emergency dental services. You may find out that the pain and swelling could be due to tooth decay, an abscess, exposed roots or infected gums.

Lost filling or crown

Fillings or crowns are meant to protect already damaged teeth. It is therefore important that you seek immediate help when you notice that they are missing. Often, a missing crown or filling could be an indication of an underlying problem such as cavities. There is also the danger of increased sensitivity to the affected tooth and further deterioration.

Post-dental surgery complications

In case you notice anything out of the normal after a dental procedure, make sure to immediately visit a dentist to determine if the recovery process is going well. This is especially important for surgery treatments as it could be an indication of an infection.

Other scenarios where emergency dentistry is needed is when you are bleeding from the mouth, have suffered some form of trauma to your teeth, tongue, cheeks, jaw or lips. However, your need for emergency dental care are not restricted to these situations, any time you feel uncomfortable and cannot wait for a dentist’s appointment, you can ease your worry by checking into an emergency dental clinic.