Emergency Dental Care: What to Expect During Your Prompt Treatment
June 1, 2023
What do you do when you fall and break your tooth and gums? How about when you experience severe pain in your tooth that doesn’t go away? During such kind periods, acting first ensures that the emergency dentist in Redding can save the life of your natural tooth. We face many dental emergencies, and looking for immediate dental treatment is essential. This piece will discuss the importance of prompt treatment during a dental emergency and more. So, keep on reading.
Emergency Dental Care: Understanding the Importance of Prompt Treatment
Some of the common dental emergencies are:
- Severely damaged or cracked tooth.
- Severe toothache.
- Severe soft tissue injury, like a deep cut in your lip.
- Broken or lost dental restoration like a tooth crown.
- Knocked out tooth.
- Tooth infection accompanied by swollen jaw or face.
- Partially dislodged tooth.
Now that you know the most common dental emergencies, what is the importance of visiting emergency dentistry in Redding for immediate treatment? Here are some of the benefits:
- Saves you from severe pain- a badly damaged or decayed tooth can be very painful. It is not advisable to take over-the-counter painkillers as they will mask the pain and not treat the cause. Looking for immediate dental care at the dentist near you is essential. The dentist will focus on treating the underlying cause of pain to ensure you don’t experience pain afterward.
- Saves your natural tooth- Your natural teeth are more efficient and functional than dental restorations. Therefore, when you experience a dental emergency, say, crack a tooth, look for prompt treatment immediately. If you can find the part of the broken tooth, carry it to the emergency dentistry in Redding. The emergency dentist will try to restore the cracked tooth.
- Slows the progression of oral disease- failure to go for regular dental check-ups leads to minor oral problems becoming severe, leading to dental emergencies. When an oral disease is left untreated, it progresses gradually, being more severe and complex to treat. Fortunately, emergency dental services entail preventing oral problems from progressing further.
- Restores the functionality of the oral cavity- after injuring your lip, gums, or tooth, it becomes challenging to eat or even smile. Moreover, there may be pain that may prevent you from eating, drinking, or speaking normally. The role of the emergency dentist is to treat the dental problem, alleviate pain, to restore your mouth’s functionality. Some of the activities that the emergency dentist will perform include: treating any oral disease, replacing broken oral appliances, and stopping bleeding.
- Reduces the risk of infection- having an open wound or cracked tooth provides an opening for infection. Failure to go for urgent dental care means the wound is left open, and bacteria can penetrate through the wound. With urgent dental care, the dentist will treat, clean, and disinfect the open wound to prevent oral infection.
Options For Pain Relief During Dental Emergencies
- Saltwater rinses- the rinse will prevent bacterial infection and reduce inflammation.
- Cold compress- applying an icepack on the side of your cheek, where your tooth is damaged, or aching, minimizes pain and swelling.
- Avoid smoking- smoking can prevent clotting and slows down the healing process.
- Stay away from hard foods- hard foods can cause more injury and pain when chewing them. Stick to soft foods like soups and scrambled eggs.
- Ensure your head is elevated when sleeping- keeping your head elevated after inuring your gums or teeth prevents further bleeding and reduces swelling.
Follow-Up Care and Prevention for Future Emergencies
After dental emergency treatment, follow-up care is essential. It provides the dentist a chance to monitor your progress and recovery. The dentist will offer tips for preventing future emergencies like:
- Practice proper oral hygiene- some dental emergencies, like pain caused by a tooth abscess, can be prevented by maintaining good oral habits. This includes brushing twice and flossing once daily.
- Use a mouthguard- a mouthguard can be useful if you participate in contact sports. This oral appliance protects your teeth and gums from trauma, reducing the chances of knocking out or damaging a tooth. Visit Riverbend Family Dental, and our dental professional will custom-make a mouthguard to protect your teeth from injury or trauma.
- Watch what you eat- you’ve heard that candies, sticky gums, and other starchy and sugary foods harm your teeth. Moreover, soda, fruit juice, and coffee can easily stain your teeth. So, if you want to avoid visiting the dentist near you for urgent dental care, avoid hard, crunchy, sugary, sticky, and acidic foods.
- Routine dental visits- regular dental check-ups keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy and prevent oral diseases and infections.