Practicing good oral hygiene is a great way to avoid needing emergency dental care. However, in some cases, taking good care of the mouth and teeth is not enough to prevent a dental emergency, which can happen at any time for a variety of reasons.
When it comes to emergency dental care, a lot of people are not sure if their condition is serious enough to need an emergency trip to the dentist. For those who are not sure, these three signs should let them know that they need to see a dentist as soon as possible.
According to dentists, having a chipped or broken tooth is one of the most common reasons people seek emergency dental care. As durable as the teeth are, they are prone to breaking. A tooth can be chipped while biting down on something hard, falling or playing physical sports. While a small chip or break in the tooth does not warrant an emergency trip to the dentist, a large break or fracture needs immediate attention because of the pain associated with it.
When a tooth breaks, the sensitive root and inner layers are often exposed. The exposure can become infected, leading to more severe issues. In some cases, the tooth can be broken below the gumline, which will require the dentist to remove the root, which is another reason to seek emergency dental care when it happens.
Having an abscessed tooth can be a very painful experience and requires urgent attention when it occurs. The condition occurs when a pocket of pus in the tooth has led to an infection. The infected tooth may cause a persistent toothache, tender lymph nodes in the neck, fever, tooth sensitivity to hot and cold, a pimple-like bump on the gums near the infected tooth and swelling in the face. An abscessed tooth is considered a dental emergency because the infection can spread into the jaw, surrounding tissue and to other parts of the body. Before seeking emergency dental care, the pain can be alleviated by rinsing the mouth with mild saltwater several times.
Having a toothache does not necessarily mean an immediate trip to the dentist because some toothaches do not last very long. However, if the toothache is severe and the patient’s teeth are sensitive to hot or cold temperatures, it may indicate that there is an infection in the tooth or its root. If the pain does not go away after trying home remedies, people are advised to see their dentists immediately for emergency care.
These are some of the signs that indicate the need for emergency dental care. People who experience any of these symptoms or conditions should seek immediate help.
Dental problems can happen at any time and can negatively impact your oral health. If you need to know more about which conditions need emergency dental care, schedule an appointment with your dentist to learn more.
Request an appointment here: https://westlinndental.net or call West Linn Dental at (503) 635-4493 for an appointment in our West Linn office.
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