Dental Emergency: Do You Need Urgent Care?
Life can be unexpected at times. No one plans for dental emergencies, but they just happen anyways. You may encounter a dental emergency because of a sudden fall, sports injury, car accident, dental infection, or any number of other reasons. When a dental emergency occurs, some people need to immediately visit a dental clinic, and some need to manage the situation at home before visiting the dentist. You must be patient and calm, so you can make reasonable and practical decisions that don’t worsen the situation. You should also have the ability to determine the severity of your condition.
When asked what dental emergencies are, most people are confused. A dental emergency is a situation that necessitates immediate dental intervention. If you delay treatment even by a few hours, the situation may worsen and lead to potential long-term complications. But it’s hard to determine exactly which dental problems constitute dental emergencies. You may experience a toothache for several reasons — everything from food stuck between your teeth to severe infections. Whatever your situation might be, you should contact your emergency dental clinic to describe the symptoms and ask for assistance.
With dental emergencies, you generally need obvious and immediate action to address severe toothaches, discomfort, injuries, or trauma to the mouth. You may suffer from lacerations to the gum, fractured teeth, knocked-out teeth, bleeding, and other major problems. Some dental issues, such as lost fillings or broken dental appliances, may need urgent dental care, but they’re not dental emergencies. Generally speaking, if you can wait for a day or two before addressing the dental problem, it’s not a dental emergency. If you are conflicted about whether your dental problem is an emergency, call the emergency dental clinic.
What Are The Typical Signs Of A Dental Emergency?
The following are some of the most common signs of dental emergencies:
- Severely cracked teeth
- Severe dental fractures
- Broken teeth
- Knocked-out teeth
- Severe toothaches
- Jaw pain
- Signs of dental abscess
- Pus formation in the gums
- Metallic taste in your mouth
- Bleeding gums
- Swollen or aching gums
- Severe soft tissue injuries
What Are Non-Urgent Dental Emergencies?
Non-urgent dental emergencies are situations that need dental attention, but not immediately. You can generally wait for a day or two before seeing dental treatment for non-urgent dental emergencies. If you experience such a situation, you can schedule an appointment during regular office hours at your emergency dental clinic.
The following are examples of non-urgent dental emergencies:
- Lost fillings
- Lost bridges
- Lost crowns
- Dull toothaches
- Small crack in the tooth
- Food stuck between teeth
How To Manage A Broken Large Amalgam Filling?
If your large amalgam filling breaks, you should try to remove the pieces of filling from your mouth. After removing the debris, rinse your mouth with warm salt water, which should flush out the debris and reduce the risk of infections. You should schedule a consultation with your dentist. A lost filling isn’t a dental emergency, so you don’t need immediate attention, but you should visit the dentist within a few days. The dentist will remove the amalgam filling and provide a new filling to restore your teeth.
How To Manage A Severe Toothache?
Toothaches can be caused by numerous factors — not all of which constitute emergencies. In most cases, mild toothaches are caused by food stuck between the teeth. You can rinse your mouth and floss your teeth to remove the debris, which will alleviate the toothache. You should also swish your mouth with warm salt water. If the toothache persists, you should visit your emergency dentist in Houston. The emergency dentist will determine if you have cavities and curate a personalized treatment plan for you.
What To Do If You Have A Knocked-Out Tooth?
If your tooth is knocked out of the socket because of a fall or sudden impact, you should act quickly. Pick the tooth up by the crown (not the root), rinse it with water without scrubbing the root, and place it in an airtight container. Your tooth needs moisture to survive, so the airtight container should have warm milk, salt water, or your saliva. After preserving the tooth, have someone drive you to the emergency dental clinic. If the tooth is still safe, the dentist will reattach it to your mouth.
How To Manage A Loose Tooth?
Your teeth are supported and stabilized by gums, jawbone tissues, and other teeth. If your tooth is loose, you may have receding gums or bone loss, usually because of bacterial infections. No adult should ever have loose teeth. If you have a loose tooth, that clearly indicates something isn’t right. You should visit your emergency dentist to have them identify and treat the root cause of your loose tooth.
How To Manage A Gum Abscess?
A gum abscess is a pimple-like formation on the gums. You should never pop a gum abscess the way you pop a pimple. That’s because abscesses carry severe bacterial infections that can spread to your bloodstream and reach other parts of your body, leading to major complications. If you notice an abscess in your mouth, please visit your emergency dental clinic. The emergency dentist will carefully drain the abscess and offer treatments for infections.
What Is The Cost Of An Emergency Dental Visit?
The cost of your emergency dentist visit depends on your specific condition, needs, and treatments. The emergency dentist will provide a comprehensive breakdown of your treatment cost in advance. Most dental emergencies are covered by dental insurance, but you can ask for insurance verification first.
Visit Our Emergency Dental Clinic In Houston
URBN Dental is a state-of-the-art emergency dental clinic located at 2400 Mid Ln. #350, Houston, TX 77027. You can find our dental clinic in Uptown Houston, a short drive from the Galleria shopping mall. If you have a dental emergency, please visit our emergency dental clinic in Houston.