Most Common Dental Emergencies
- Written by NewsServices.com
Picture the scene: you’re enjoying a lovely evening at home when all of a sudden out of nowhere comes a terrible twinging pain from your jaw. You have no idea what it is, but you’re immediately online going to look for an emergency dentist near Langwarrin or wherever you live. You call up and get yourself down there to get it sorted immediately.
While we may all feel like we know exactly what constitutes a dental emergency, it can be quite important to know for sure what does and doesn’t lest we get disappointed when an emergency dentist tells us that what we’re complaining about doesn’t qualify. Below are some of the most common dental emergencies:
1. Teeth Infections
We don’t tend to think of many infections as medical emergencies. The ER units of hospitals across the country don’t tend to be people running in and shouting “Help! These bacteria are on me and spreading fast!” When it comes to tooth infections, however, it does constitute more of an emergency because of how quickly it can advance to much more serious problems that people find hard to deal with at home.
Untreated teeth infections can lead to the formation of a pus-filled abscess. Even worse, it can spread into the gums and damage the vital nerve endings in your jaw. Common signs of such an infection include throbbing pain in the teeth combined with things like fever.
2. Sores in the Mouth
Some mouth sores don’t come as a surprise because a dentist may have warned you about them if and when they were fitting you for braces, for example. If braces cause abrasions on the inside of your mouth, then it’s easy to get serious sores that may warrant being seen by an emergency dentist to get the braces fixed up and prevent more sores.
Alternatively, mouth sores could also be a sign of the onset of gum disease, which needs action very quickly to resolve and preserve oral health.
3. Bleeding Gums or Teeth
Speaking of gum disease --- also known as gingivitis --- another key sign that can warrant a trip to the emergency dentist is bleeding teeth or gums. Of course, there might be other reasons besides gum disease, but even more serious and urgent. Blood in the saliva, for instance, is a key and worrying sign of cancer.
If you haven’t visited a dentist in a long time and you find you’re quite spontaneously bleeding from your teeth or gums, it’s critical that you get to a dentist to determine what’s going on. The good news will be that it’s gum disease. The bad news could be that there are other signs of cancer and you need to seek specialist care right away before it advances.
4. Broken or Knocked-Out Teeth
Anything from a sporting accident, to a fall, or some playful roughhousing with the kids can lead to teeth becoming dislodged or knocked right out. If this happens to you, get right on to an emergency dentist and seek help because if you act swiftly and with enough purpose, they can likely reattach that tooth for you. Handle the damaged tooth with care, and try to get to the dentist within the hour for the best chances of everything being restored to normal.
5. Broken Jaw
Have you ever yawned and then felt sudden shooting pains through your jaw? You might think nothing of it, but sometimes a big yawn is enough to actually dislocate the jaw. It’s also quite common to see jaw injuries in need of an emergency dentist’s attention after accidents in motorcycling or sports.