There are lots of different conditions that could represent a dental emergency but if there is pain or dental trauma it can be difficult to decide whether you need to see a dentist immediately or if a trip to your regular dentist would be enough. Let’s take a look at some of the different conditions that might require emergency treatment, to help you decide what sort of action to take if you do find yourself in a difficult situation relating to your dental health.
What counts as a dental emergency?
Broken teeth – If you have broken your teeth, you should already be thinking about going to the dentist to get treatment; broken teeth are open to infection and this is something that can cause dental problems later on – possibly tooth loss. With fast treatment application, it may be possible to save the damaged teeth and avoid tooth loss; however, if the teeth are too badly damaged the dentist may not be able to save them, in which case a number of extractions may be needed. It is better to remove badly broken teeth if they are beyond saving because infection can cause problems with dental health further down the line.
Knocked-out teeth – If you have knocked out one or more of your teeth you are probably already considering emergency dental care; it is possible that the extruded teeth can be placed back into the socket and it may reattach. Ideally, you should try and get to the dental clinic within a couple of hours of the damage occurring, so that treatment can be applied and the lost tooth saved. Fortunately, emergency dental clinics are usually available twenty-four hours a day, which should make it easier to arrange treatment at short notice. You should store the tooth in a cup of milk, which will keep the tooth minerals alive and encourage recovery later on; milk is better than water because water will only cause the root to swell up and this will kill the tooth quicker. There are ways to replace a natural tooth with a synthetic restoration but it is obviously better to try and get the real tooth fitted back into the socket, wherever possible.
Gum disease – This is a type of infection that usually develops due to poor oral hygiene that has allowed plaque to build up along the gum line; this condition might not seem like it needs to be treated at the first opportunity but it can deteriorate to the point where emergency dental care will be needed if the infection has become more aggressive. Emergency treatment will usually be needed if gum boils develop along the gum line; this means that the bacteria have moved further into the tissue and the teeth are at risk. Gum disease can lead to tooth loss and possibly other health problems later on, due to the infection, so it’s a good idea to get treatment for this when the symptoms first become apparent. The first indication of gum disease is usually some slight bleeding after the teeth have been brushed.
Toothache – Some people might tell you that toothache does not require emergency dental treatment even if it becomes extremely painful; however, there is dental treatment available twenty-four hours a day to help with all kinds of dental problems, so there is no need to wait for the condition to become more painful before you seek dental treatment. Toothache is typically related to decay that has damaged the tooth structure; this is not something that will get better without professional dental care, so you should definitely refer it to your dentist at the first opportunity. You might be tempted to simply take some painkillers and try to ignore the pain but that is not going to treat the condition long-term; you should definitely seek dental treatment if you are suffering with regular toothache that has become worse over time.
Enamel chips – This is an example of dental trauma that is not necessarily going to be painful – if the damage is not very obvious when the teeth are showing, many people may ignore this kind of problem and leave the enamel chips untreated. Even if you are not bothered by the way the injury appears, you should still get the problem assessed because there could be underlying problems that may affect your dental health at a later date. People who have suffered with this kind of damage would probably agree that enamel chips represent a dental emergency, simply because it can be hard to disguise tooth damage and it can change the way the smile appears. It should not be too difficult to repair an enamel chip using composite bonding material or some sort of veneer.
Broken braces – The problem with broken braces is that they may still be attached to teeth that have been damaged during an accident; this will stop them from healing properly and may prevent them from stabilising at all. If the braces are still putting pressure onto the teeth, this can be really damaging and may cause long-term injuries to the roots. In order to treat the broken teeth, the dentist will probably have to take the braces and this is obviously going to cause complications with the orthodontic treatment – a brand new treatment plan may be needed in cases like this. This type of injury is not usually a problem with removable braces that can be taken out after tooth damage, because the aligner will no longer be putting pressure onto the teeth after they have been injured.
If you are suffering with any of these symptoms or conditions and you would like to speak to a dentist in an emergency fashion; this surgery is found in the Kingston area of London and the team can provide twenty-four hour emergency services to help with any type of problems that might affect you outside of normal working hours. Contact the reception team now to make an appointment or to find out about the emergency services that are on offer.
Pearl Dental Clinic is open 7 days a week from 9am to 9pm. You can book an appointment by calling us on 0208 547 9997 or emailing us or booking an appointment online.