Emergency Dentistry
Routine dental care protects your smile and your overall health. During a routine visit, your dentist looks for signs of cavities and other issues; spotting small problems early gives your dentist an opportunity to address them before they become big problems.
Dental emergencies, on the other hand, usually happen quickly and when you least expect them. This is especially true with a child’s tooth emergency. When dental emergencies do occur, you need help immediately. Waiting too long to address a dental emergency can have serious consequences that may include infections, severe pain, lost teeth, or more.
But what exactly constitutes a dental emergency? And how do you handle a dental emergency before you can get to an emergency dentist in Kettering, Ohio?
Dental emergencies don’t have to be a panic situation – you can learn to tell the difference between a small problem and an actual dental emergency, and how to prepare for your appointment.
What Qualifies as a Dental Emergency?
It can sometimes be hard to decide if something is a dental emergency that requires an immediate trip to the dentist. Not treating a dental emergency can have serious consequences, but making an unnecessary trip to the dentist can cost time and money.
Generally speaking, if you are not in serious pain or bleeding, you can probably wait until normal business hours to see your dentist. Having said that, though, loose and knocked-out teeth are always an emergency, even if you are not in severe pain or bleeding. If you wear braces, you should treat loose brackets and wires as a dental emergency.
If you even suspect that you have broken a bone in your face, get to an emergency dentist or emergency department right away. Severe tooth pain, a noticeably cracked tooth, or an abscess with swelling and a fever are also emergencies, as are loose dental crowns or other dental restorations.
What’s Not Necessarily an Emergency
Now that we’ve covered dental emergencies, let’s talk about dental problems that may be able to wait a few days. These problems may include less severe, low-level toothaches and abscesses. Cracks and chips that cause only mild or moderate discomfort may be able to wait, especially if you can protect them with dental wax. If damage to your braces isn’t preventing you from speaking or eating, you may be able to apply some wax and wait a couple of days to see us.
Some problems may even resolve on their own or with home treatment. Rinsing with salt water and routine tooth brushing may address small cuts and sores inside your mouth, for example.
Not sure if something is a dental emergency? Give us a call! We’re glad to help you decide if you are having a dental emergency, and what you should do about it.
Finding Dental Care on Weekends and Holidays
Dental emergencies always seem to happen on weekends and holidays. If you need relief while most dentists’ offices are closed, you need an emergency dentist. To reduce stress during a dental emergency, establish a professional relationship with an emergency dentist before trouble strikes; keep their number handy on your cell phone or written down next to your landline.
Having an Emergency Dentist is Important
Many dentists offer after-hours appointments for routine dental work, but not every dentist who offers after-hours appointments provides emergency care. For best results in an emergency, you need a dentist who can provide complex, tooth-saving care. This is true for even relatively simple issues of infection or bleeding.
How to Prepare for Dental Emergencies
Preparing for dental emergencies can reduce stress and improve outcomes. Here are a few steps you can take to prepare for dental emergencies:
- Assemble a small kit of dental emergency supplies, such as sterile gauze and commercial products for saving knocked-out teeth
- Use sports guards and night guards to prevent injuries
- Set up a first aid kit with ice packs, heat packs, and over-the-counter pain killers
- Save our emergency dentist’s contact information on your phone
What to Do When an Emergency Happens
- If you have a dental emergency, or you encounter someone who has having one, don’t panic
- Call your emergency dentist and schedule an emergency appointment
- Control any bleeding by applying pressure to the cut or opening with a piece of sterile gauze
- Retrieve any missing teeth or tooth fragments; place them in clean water or a tooth-saving product in a closed container; bring them to the emergency dentist with you
- Follow the emergency dentist’s recommendation on dealing with pain or swelling while you are on your way to your appointment
For more information on emergency dentistry, consult with our emergency dentist in Kettering. We are always glad to make room in our schedule to help you deal with a dental emergency.