What are the Most Frequent Emergencies That Dentists Treat?

Dental emergencies come in different forms. A missing or broken tooth, gum disease, and tooth decay are some of the most common dental emergencies. It is true that the best way to prevent dental issues is through proper dental care. However, having a clear idea of how to handle dental emergencies can go a long way towards safeguarding your dental health and preventing long-term damage, when the worst happens.

What are the Most Frequent Emergencies That Dentists Treat?

With that in mind, continue reading below to find out more about the most common dental emergencies.

Toothache

A toothache is by far one of the most common dental emergencies. Pain can be a sign of various dental issues including tooth decay, oral injuries, and infections among others. In some cases, toothache can be managed at home without emergency treatment using over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen among others. However, you should never place any painkillers, including aspirin, against your gum or tissue as it can burn the gum tissue. Alternatively, you can apply a cold compress over the outside of your cheek.

Any cases of toothache accompanied by swelling require urgent dental care. When this occurs, be sure to seek emergency dental care immediately.

While toothache may be considered to be the most common dental emergency, other common emergencies include:

Broken or Chipped Tooth

In addition to being very painful, a chipped or broken tooth can ruin your smile. If the bleeding is excessive, use warm water to rinse out your mouth and place a piece of gauze at the affected area. Relieve pain and swelling by placing a cold compress on the area of your face closest to the affected tooth. Afterward, contact an emergency dentist to get the problem fixed as soon as possible.

Cracked Or Lost Filling

Lost or cracked fillings need to be fixed immediately to prevent further damage. This is mainly due to the fact that they are primarily used to restore the function and appearance of a previously damaged tooth. Avoid trying to fix the damaged tooth by yourself. Instead, cover the affected area with a piece of sugarless gum as you make arrangements for an emergency visit to the dentist’s office.

Knocked-out Tooth

A knocked-out tooth can cause bleeding and pain. The tooth can be put back in place depending on the nature of the injury; ideally, this has to be done within an hour. Pick up the knocked-out tooth by the crown and rinse off any dirt – without removing any attached tissue fragments. You can try to put the tooth back in place carefully, without forcefully pushing it into the socket. Alternatively, you can just place it in a cup of milk, as a way of preserving it for an emergency restoration procedure.

Conclusion

Keep calm and avoid panicking when dental emergencies in Albuquerque occur. After giving yourself the necessary first aid, be sure to make an emergency visit to the dentist.

What Should You Do If You Find That You Have a Loose Adult Tooth?

Loose teeth might be normal for a child, but can be a cause for concern for an adult. If one of your adult teeth feels loose, you might notice that it’s possible to wiggle it. You may also find a loose tooth by touching it while engaging in normal activities such as eating or drinking.

What Could Cause an Adult Tooth to Become Loose?

Adult teeth can become loose due to several different factors, which include but are not limited to:

– Injury/Trauma: Your adult teeth can become loose if an injury to your mouth causes damage to the root of the tooth as well as the surrounding gums.

– Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Clenching or grinding puts pressure on your teeth, which makes them loose over time.

– Gum Disease (Periodontitis): It’s a severe gum infection that causes gum recession. If left untreated, periodontitis can cause loose teeth.

– Pregnancy: The hormonal imbalances experienced during pregnancy may affect the bones and ligaments in the mouth that hold teeth causing them to loosen.

– Osteoporosis (Weakening of Bones): If you have osteoporosis, your jawbone may lose its density causing teeth to become loose.

– Diabetes: If your diabetes isn’t under control, it can aggravate your gum disease, which in turn can cause loosening of teeth.

– Medication: Calcium is necessary for strong and healthy bones and teeth, but certain medications can make it difficult for the body to absorb it. Prolonged intake of such medication can weaken and loosen your teeth.

What Can You Do While Waiting to See the Dentist?

If your tooth is very loose, fractured, chipped, knocked-out, or almost falling out, you have a dental emergency and you should see your dentist within the shortest time possible. To save your tooth, it needs to be out back in its socket within no more than 2 hours.

In the meantime, you should do the following:

– Avoid touching the root when picking the tooth up

– Rinse the tooth in a bowl of lukewarm water

– Replace the tooth in its socket facing the right way

– Press down on the tooth with your thumb until the crown is level with the adjacent tooth

– Bite down on a wad of cloth to stabilize the tooth until you’re seen by the dentist.

If you have a loose adult tooth, don’t panic. You can increase the odds of avoiding tooth loss or any further complications by seeking treatment immediately. Contact or schedule an appointment with a dentist in Albuquerque if you think that you have a loose adult tooth and your smile will thank you.

Get Your Chipped Tooth Repaired Fast

Getting a Chipped or Broken Tooth Fixed is Easy – Just Contact an Emergency Dentist in ABQ

Getting a tooth chipped happens to the best of us. It can happen any time, from a silly accident such as walking into a door or even biting down on a piece of hard candy. Of course, a cracked or broken tooth can occur due to a cavity that has weakened the tooth, but whatever the reason may be, it can definitely be fixed. Even though chipping your tooth will alarm you the first time it happens, don’t panic!

So, What Should You Do?

As soon as you get a chipped tooth, immediately rinse your mouth with salt water and take an over the counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen if there is any pain. If you find that the edge of the chipped tooth is sharp or is jagged, then you should place a piece of wax or sugarless chewed gum over it so that it does not cut your cheek or tongue.

Once you have done that, the next step is to book a dental appointment with our dental office in Albuquerque. The first thing that will be done is a complete and thorough examination of the chipped tooth. If the tooth is healthy, then we will simply repair the tooth with a filling so that it looks brand new. Of course, if the chipped tooth is one of your front teeth, then we will do a procedure called bonding where a tooth colored material is bonded to the tooth using an adhesive so that your tooth looks like nothing ever happened to it! We are completely professional and highly experienced so that you can rest assured, no one will be able to tell that your tooth was chipped or blemished in any way.

However, in the case that the chipped tooth is unhealthy due to a cavity or another dental problem, then a root canal and dental crown procedure may have to be done. If most of the tooth is broken and there is extensive decay, then the remaining part of the tooth will most likely need to be filed down and a cap or crown placed over it. In the case that the root of the tooth is still healthy, then a root canal will need to be done where a pin or post will have to be placed in the tooth’s canal. Then, a structure will be built up around the tooth and a crown placed onto the structure to give the tooth a restored appearance.

Need Your Chipped Tooth Repaired? Call Our Albuquerque Dental Office

As you can see, getting a chipped tooth is nothing to worry about! All you have to do is give our Albuquerque dental office a call and we’ll have your tooth looking brand new in no time.