What is a Dental Emergency?

There are many types of dental emergencies. Emergency dental care is defined as a problem with the oral cavity that needs immediate assistance. Putting off a dental emergency can result in, among other things, the loss of a tooth or teeth or uncontrolled bleeding. Emergency dentistry is often needed for situations such as:

• A tooth is knocked out
• A broken tooth
• Broken jawbone
• Profuse oral bleeding
• Tooth pain, especially if it’s debilitating
• Signs of infection such as swelling, severe pain or pus
• Problems with braces such as broken wires or brackets
• Severely bitten tongue
• Swelling or other trauma that interferes with swallowing or breathing

There are other dental issues that are considered urgent as opposed to emergencies. They need to be looked at soon but may not have to be dealt with immediately. They include:

• Getting a biopsy for abnormal tissue in the mouth
• Adjusting dentures for patients receiving cancer treatment
• Loose teeth
• First signs of gingivitis such as puffy and bleeding gums
• Pain in the jawbone that’s not caused by a fracture
• Dry socket
• Localize abscess
• Loss of a filling

Though dental emergencies need to be treated as soon as possible, there are actions that the person or their caretaker can take before they are taken to the dentist’s office or the hospital.

Tooth is Knocked Out

Teeth getting knocked out is a distressingly common dental emergency, especially with children. By the way, a child should be seen even if a baby tooth is knocked out. The dentist won’t reimplant a baby tooth, but the child may have suffered a further injury to their mouth.

First, the tooth should only be handled by the biting surface because touching the root may interfere with the reimplantation. It should be washed quickly with tap water if it’s dirty then placed back in its socket. If it can’t be put back in the socket, place it in a cup of milk, not water, and call the dentist. Going to a hospital emergency room should only be done if an emergency dentist isn’t available. The longer the wait, the less successful the reimplantation. If the tooth has been chipped, the broken piece should also be stored in milk.

Pulpitis

Pulpitis is the excruciating pain that comes from an inflammation and infection of the pulp of the tooth. The pain comes because as gases build up in the infected material, it presses on the nerves and causes the pulp to swell up. Moreover, the gasses and swollen tissue have nowhere to go in the confined space of the tooth chamber. The pain can be such that a person will seek out dental help even in the middle of the night.

Pulpitis can be reversible or irreversible. If it’s reversible, treatment can remove the infection and ease the pain. With irreversible pulpitis, the pulp of the tooth and sometimes the tooth itself can’t be saved. The dentist will perform a pulpectomy, which is the first stage of root canal therapy. In severe cases, the infection kills the tooth, and the tooth needs to be extracted and replaced with a dental implant.

Patients who have attacks of pulpitis find that they get relief by pressing an ice pack to the side of their face that holds the infected tooth. Some patients also find relief through NSAIDs such as ibuprofen until they can get to the dentist.

Problems with Braces

Traditional metal or ceramic braces are made of brackets connected with wires. Both the wires and the brackets can break and sometimes injure the inside of the person’s mouth. Sometimes, they not only break but fall out altogether, which is a dental emergency.

Whether braces break or fall out, the patient shouldn’t try to fix the problem themselves but should be treated by their orthodontist as soon as possible. In the meantime, they should rinse their mouth with warm salt water to clean and disinfect any cuts or irritation in their mouth. They should bring pieces of the broken braces with them to their orthodontist. Sometimes, the components of the braces do not need to be replaced with new parts but can be reinstalled by the orthodontist.

The secret to healing quickly and completely from a dental emergency is to make sure that it is treated as soon as possible. Even a tooth that’s been knocked out can be saved. The same is true of a tooth that’s been infected.

Emergency Dental Services in Southfield, Michigan

If you find yourself in a dental emergency or have an urgent dental need in the metro Detroit area, Fortson Dentistry is happy to serve you from our offices in Lathrup Village and Berkley. Please call your local office for an emergency appointment.