Common Dental Emergencies Explained

A dental emergency is an issue involving the teeth and supporting tissue and requires immediate action to address severe pain. No one knows when they may need emergency dentistry Yonkers, so it is essential to be prepared for anything and have a plan of action. Below are the most common dental emergencies.

Chipped or broken teeth

Your teeth can break or chip when you bite down on something a little too hard. Besides the pain, a broken or chipped tooth ruins your perfect smile. In such cases, you want to contact your dentist immediately to eliminate the pain. Before getting professional care, rinse your mouth with warm water and apply gauze to the bleeding site. Apply a cold compress to the facial part near the chipped tooth to relieve pain and bring down swelling. Your dentist may caution against biting down on crunchy and hard foods. If you play contact sports, your dentist may recommend wearing a mouth guard to protect your teeth.

Toothache

Toothache is never a good sign; it may indicate several conditions, including tooth decay. Some toothaches do not need emergency treatment, but specific symptoms like swelling require prompt treatment. Most people resort to remedies like aspirin or other pain relievers, but this should not be the case because contact with the affected gums can cause inflammation. Instead of taking painkillers, apply a cold compress to your cheek and call your dentist for emergency care. After receiving treatment, your dentist emphasizes the importance of basic oral hygiene to prevent cavities, tooth decay, and other dental problems.

Broken orthodontics

Braces are metal wires and brackets orthodontists use to align crooked or crowded teeth. These devices are strong and withstand everyday wear and tear from chewing, brushing, and talking. Nevertheless, they can break and stick out, poking your cheeks and gums. Besides the discomfort this causes, it can slow down or reverse the progress of straightening the teeth. When your braces stick out, you can try to push the broken wire into a comfortable position. But if this is impossible, use orthodontic wax to cover the exposed end and contact your orthodontist.

Excessive pain and bleeding after tooth extraction

After tooth extraction, experiencing post-op pain and bleeding is normal, but if these persist hours later, it is time to call your dentist. In the meantime, you can minimize the bleeding by placing a thick gauze pad over the extraction site and biting down on the gauze to apply pressure. You want to avoid eating, drinking, spitting, sucking, and smoking.

Knocked-out tooth

You want to handle this as you would a chipped or broken tooth. First, pick the tooth by the crown and rinse off the root if it is dirty. Do not scrub or remove the attached tissue fragment. Sometimes it is possible to put the tooth back in place but be careful not to push it into the socket. Doing this as soon as possible gives you a better chance of saving your knocked-out tooth. If you cannot re-insert the tooth, place it in saline water or milk to preserve it.

In case of any dental emergency, visit your dentist at Yonkers Dental Arts.

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