Emergency treatment is sought-after by many people for injuries suffered in accidents, brawls, and even sporting activities. Many injuries are not serious enough to qualify as an emergency but people frequently visit emergency rooms in hospitals for treatment. Dental emergencies are not different from injuries of other types and often require treatment from a dentist for the injury.
If you have been involved in an accident, brawl or a sporting activity that has knocked out your teeth or perhaps fractured them you certainly need emergency dental care at Friendswood, TX, or any other place you may be located in. However not every injury to the mouth or teeth qualifies as an emergency. Therefore before you rush to the emergency dentist it is essential for you to understand what qualifies as a dental emergency.
A Knocked-out Tooth Qualifies for Emergency Dental Care
If a tooth has been knocked out of your mouth you just have about 30 minutes to reach the emergency dentist if you want to prevent a toothless grin. It is suggested that you contact emergency dental care in Friendswood, TX, and schedule an appointment to have the problem rectified. Remember, 30 minutes is the deadline you have for saving or throwing the tooth out permanently.
Before you head for the dentist pick up the knocked out tooth and clean it by holding the crown. You should be gentle when handling the tooth attempting not to touch the roots because it can potentially damage the cells needed for reattaching the bone. Even during the cleaning, you should be careful not to scrub the roots but simply rinse it with water and try to place it in your mouth from where it was knocked out. If it’s not possible, place the tooth in gauze or a clean cloth in a small container with milk until you reach the dentist’s office.
Fractures to the Tooth Also Qualify As Emergencies
You could have different types of fractures from the injury which could be from minor to severe. In such cases, it would be better if you simply rinse your mouth with warm water and use a cold compress on your cheeks to reduce swelling. Having over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen as a painkiller is also suggested.
Getting to the dentist as soon as possible should be your goal because he or she is the only individual that can determine how badly the tooth is fractured. If the fracture is minor or moderate the dentist can fix the problem but if the fracture is severe you may have to discard the tooth as the chances of recovery are negligible. Additional dental treatments may also be needed if the fracture is moderate but has affected the pulp.
A Chipped Tooth Can Wait for Regular Hours of the Dentist
If the impact has resulted in a chipped tooth you will still require treatment from a dentist but do not have to rush to emergency dental care because the chances of losing the tooth do not exist. Dentists are frequently repairing chips to the teeth with the help of cosmetic dentistry and therefore you need not panic about the injury. You can wait until you schedule an appointment with the dentist and obtain the treatment needed.
How Do Dentists Approach Dental Emergencies?
Every dentist is determined to save any tooth that is affected by an injury with the sole objective of preventing the need for expensive dental work for the patient. They are consistently setting aside hours from their hectic schedules to attend to dental emergencies. Many are even working on weekends and Saturdays knowing full well that they could receive a call from a patient that has suffered trauma to the teeth.
Dentists are determined to save every tooth possible and therefore have also invested in state-of-the-art communication systems that provide every caller information of how an injury to the tooth should be managed. The patient receives all instructions about the care they need to take after the injury until they reach the dentist’s office. On rare occasions when excessive bleeding is being experienced by the patient, the dentist may recommend that he or she visit an emergency room at a hospital to find a solution for the same. However, in most cases, they are prepared to provide treatment to the patient with the knowledge that their help can leave the patient with a full set of teeth in the mouth.