What Are Examples of Dental Emergencies?
Dental emergencies come in all shapes and sizes. One person may consider what they’re experiencing as a dental emergency and search for care from an emergency dentist in Claremont, NH, while another may not. But that doesn’t mean that the second scenario is not something that requires timely care during the dentist’s next available appointment.
We’ll provide a few examples of true dental emergencies below, but if you’re reading this to determine if what you’re presently experiencing requires emergency care, please call us for information. In many cases, our dentist and her team can provide insight on what you may be able to do at home until you can be seen for a non-emergency appointment.
The definition of a dental emergency is when you find yourself in any scenario that could permanently affect your oral health if not treated immediately. Claremont Dental group can help with your dental emergencies.
A Brief Overview of Dental Emergencies
Some patients may think that seeing blood when they brush or floss is a red flag and seek emergency dentistry. While it’s true that bleeding during brushing and flossing is a red flag that you may be experiencing early gum disease, it’s a treatable condition through preventive dentistry during regular appointment hours. If, however, you are experiencing nonstop bleeding from your oral cavity, that’s a red flag to call us for emergency dental care.
Likewise, excessive oral pain may be considered a dental emergency. Suppose the pain cannot be identified (such as a recent impact injury or use of over-the-counter bleaching products). In that case, there’s a high probability that the pain resulted from infection. When left untreated, dental infections can lead to further health complications. For example, untreated oral pain could indicate the need for root canal therapy, usually as a non-emergency. However, depending on the degree of infection present, you may need pre-procedure antibiotic therapy.
If you’ve recently had a dental crown procedure, the temporary crown may become loose or fall off. If the tooth is in an area of your mouth that others can’t see, you may not worry too much about the temporary inconvenience. However, you risk fracturing the exposed tooth, negatively impacting your permanent crown’s successful placement. You can purchase over-the-counter (OTC) temporary crown fixatives until you can be seen at our office.
These were just a few examples of the most common dental emergencies patients experience, but it does not include every scenario. Remember that we’re here to answer your questions.
You Can Minimize Your Need for Emergency Dentistry
Did you know there’s a way to minimize your risk of needing emergency dental care? One of the most important things you can do today is to ensure that you’re current on your exams and cleanings from a dentist near you. Dentists and their teams can diagnose minor concerns during these appointments before they become larger ones. For example, gum disease is more manageable, less costly, and less invasive to treat than when it has advanced to needing gum disease surgery. Likewise, fillings and other restorations are checked during dental exams and cleanings to ensure they are not at risk of falling out.
Similarly, when you visit us for your preventive dentistry, we can perform an oral cancer screening using a VELscope®, an enhanced oral assessment system that can detect the presence of oral cancer cells before the most visible symptoms are apparent. There’s no question that oral cancer is an urgent situation, but testing for it can minimize the scare.
Another preventive measure you can take is to wear a sports guard if you are active in sports or other activities that place you at risk for facial impact. There’s a reason that professional athletes wear mouthguards – because they work! Although you can purchase over-the-counter mouthguards and sports guards, there is no substitute for a customized appliance’s comfort and protection.