No one ever wants to deal with a dental emergency, but sometimes they happen, and being able to access quality dental care in a timely manner is important. After all, the sooner you seek out treatment, the higher the chances of fully restoring your smile to its natural beauty.
If you have any questions or concerns about emergency dentistry in South Edmonton, get in touch with our local dental practice. We’re here to help you however we can.
What is a Dental Emergency?
Emergency dentistry is a distinct branch of dental medicine that focuses on providing urgent treatment to smiles that have been damaged.
Sometimes, depending on the situation that you find yourself in, it can be hard to know when you should seek out proper dental care or if the issue will eventually go away on its own. To help you out in this regard, we’ve compiled an inclusive list of the different emergencies that dentists typically see.
1. A toothache.
More specifically, a toothache that’s grown in severity and has lasted multiple days. Toothaches can be a symptom of many dental issues such as the presence of a cavity, gum disease, and bruxism, which refers to the grinding and clenching of your teeth, mainly at night. Toothaches often feel like you have a dull, yet consistent pain shooting up through your jaw.
Treatment: Brush and floss the affected tooth carefully. Staying away from crunchy and hard foods can help too. Ultimately, if the problem persists, get in touch with your dentist near you.
2. Broken teeth.
Typically, this encompasses teeth that are chipped or cracked, which can arise from biting down into something or getting hit in the face.
Treatment: Do your best to save the fragments of your tooth. Put them in a safe place, take some Advil or Tylenol and then go see your dentist.
3. A knocked-out tooth.
Like broken teeth, patients can be missing because they’ve been knocked out during a sports game, a fight, or due to experiencing oral trauma.
Treatment: First, find the tooth that’s come out and, without touching its root, try and situate it back into your socket. In some cases, if you act fast enough, the tooth can be reattached. If this isn’t possible, place it in a glass of milk then call your dentist.
4. Swelling or inflammation.
Chipmunks are cute with their chubby cheeks and all, but no one wants to look like one – this is exactly what can happen if you’re dealing with oral swelling or inflammation. These symptoms can manifest due to an infection.
Treatment: Press a cold pack against the side of your face that’s swollen, then visit a dental clinic to receive emergency dentistry near you. They will examine your mouth and be able to accurately identify what the problem is and remedy it accordingly.
5. Broken orthodontics.
Orthodontic treatment is a truly wonderful thing; not only does it repair smiles that are unaligned, but it also significantly enhances the overall aesthetic appearance of our teeth tooth. With that said, your braces should be your improving dental health, not harming it. But, our braces, particularly metal ones, aren’t perfect. Sometimes they can snap out of place and slice up your gums and cheeks.
Treatment: Try snapping the bracket back into its original position. If you can’t do so, wrap the pokey end of the bracket in dental wax or place a wad of gauze there to keep it from hurting you any further. Go see your orthodontist; they’ll be able to adjust your device and relieve any pain.
6. Bleeding.
Our mouths will bleed now and then; that’s normal. Brushing a bit too hard, biting our tongues or lips, and following certain procedures can all cause this to occur.
Treatment: Despite all those things, if the bleeding in your mouth won’t stop or the stream grows thicker, it’s time to act. Press a piece of gauze over the area and bite down gently to keep it from moving. Then, go see a dentist.
At Landmark Dental, we provide emergency dentistry to every patient who needs it. Our dentist in South Edmonton is here for you and alongside the rest of our extremely capable team which includes dental hygienists and administrative staff, will do everything they can to get your smile back to normal.
Call or visit our website to learn more.