When you think of an emergency, you probably think of a car crash or broken bones, or something similar. In dentistry, many emergencies are less flashy but still quite serious. If you are the one experiencing an emergency, it may not even seem like an emergency (you are experiencing little pain for example), but it could still be one.
Dental emergencies themselves are quite common and it is important to know what they are and how to get help when they arise. Because of their emergency nature, they require prompt treatment at a dental office that specializes in emergency dental care, like Devaney Dental Oak Ridge. This article will discuss dental emergencies, why you should seek care quickly, and how Devaney Dentistry Oak Ridge approaches dental emergencies.
Common Dental Emergencies and How to Handle Them
When it comes to dental emergencies, they can be characterized as harm to the mouth and/or teeth that require immediate intervention to prevent them from getting worse. Emergencies in dentistry are often accompanied by severe pain, swelling, or bleeding–symptoms that would be hard to ignore! Potential emergencies could be the following:
- A chipped tooth.
- Teeth that have been knocked out
- Damaged restorations like implants or crowns.
- A severe toothache.
- Damage to the gums, mouth, lips, tongue.
All of these need to be attended to as quickly as you can get to the dentist. If you experience this type of problem, you should call your dentist as soon as possible to get their input. Many dentist offices offer some type of emergency care or can quickly point you in the right direction.
Emergency dental care will be similar to regular care, it just occurs sooner since it is really important to get your problem fixed as soon as possible. If you are still confused about whether your situation counts as something requiring emergency dental services, just call your dentist to be on the safe side. It is better to not wait and find out that you are not experiencing an emergency than the opposite!
A final note about emergencies. If you feel like your life is being imminently threatened by the situation (excessive bleeding for example), call 911 and/or visit the emergency room. The dentist can see you after.
Why you should not wait: Getting prompt treatment
Once you have established that you are experiencing a dental emergency, do not wait to see an emergency dentist. Problems like these will not resolve themselves easily (or at all) and can cause later problems that are worse outcomes.
For example, damage to your gum from a fall might be easily fixed by getting stitches within a few hours of the incident, thereby saving the teeth near the damage. If you wait, you could be risking one or more teeth should the site heal improperly or become infected.
Seeking prompt treatment is the most important factor when talking about emergencies of any kind, including the dental type. Do yourself a favor and always seek emergency dental services in the event of a likely emergency.
Emergency Dental Services at Devaney Oak Ridge
Many dentist offices offer emergency dental services, and Devaney Dental Oak Ridge is no exception. We pride ourselves on making regular and emergency dental appointments as comfortable and personalized as we can.
If you are experiencing a dental emergency, give us a call. We have helped alleviate the pain of thousands of patients through the use of emergency dental procedures. The best part is that in most cases, we can get you in the office on the same day as your call. Making sure that you do not suffer the long-term consequences of a dental emergency is a top priority at Devaney Dental Oak Ridge.
We specialize in many dental procedures, including sedation dentistry, in order to decrease your feelings of pain and discomfort to zero as we fix the emergency problem. If you have damaged your gums, knocked a tooth out, etc., give us a call today so that we can get you in the office!
