Sciota, Pennsylvania
A dental emergency refers to any situation where a patient requires immediate attention from a licensed, experienced dentist to minimize the risk of a serious medical problem or to prevent long-term complications. Knowing when you should and shouldn’t seek an emergency dentist can save you time, money, and peace of mind when something happens. Today on the blog, your dentist in Sciota goes through six situations where you should see an emergency dentist.
Broken Teeth: A fractured or broken tooth can happen without you realizing it. Hopefully, you’ll notice if it does. Chances are you will because dental injuries like this can be quite painful. If your tooth cracks or breaks, try rinsing your mouth with warm salt water to help relieve any discomfort. Untreated broken teeth can lead to serious dental issues.
Missing dental restorations: When you notice a crown is missing it may seem like an inconvenience, but it can cause serious complications. Why does a filling or crown fail? This usually happens due to trauma or additional decay of the tooth that is housing the restoration. Therefore, it should be treated as a dental emergency to prevent more serious dental treatments—or even potential tooth loss.
Toothache: If your tooth is hurting, you should trust that it is a reason to seek out emergency dental services. Toothaches are obvious because they cause pain. Sometimes you can manage the discomfort by thoroughly rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater. This also will bring down the swelling. If dental pain ever decreases, you shouldn’t ignore it. It can only worsen and cause more pain.
Bleeding gums: If you see a little pink in the sink when you brush your teeth, it may seem like a minor problem but it actually is indicative of a potential major issue. While bleeding from the gums is one of the signs of the early stage of gum disease known as gingivitis, bleeding gums also can be a sign of a much larger health issue.
Dental abscess: An abscessed tooth is not a dental emergency you can ignore. In addition to being extremely painful, an abscess can threaten your life. Abscesses form at the end of your tooth root due to infection. If the infected material enters your bloodstream, it can cause organ failure, sepsis or potentially death.
Damaged dental nerve: If you have to ask yourself whether or not you have an exposed nerve, you don’t. Exposed nerves will cause a searing pain when you breathe, drink or even just move. The pain from an exposed nerve can be excruciating, but your best bet is to chew a piece of sugarless gum and then use it to cover the exposed nerve. This could provide a very short-term source of relief until you can get to your emergency dentist for treatment.
Emergency dental care in Sciota, Pennsylvania
We hope you never experience a dental emergency, but if you do, you can trust the team at Quiet Valley Dental. Our three dentists have decades of combined experience in the field. To learn more about our emergency dental services, contact our office by calling (570) 992-7040.
