What Should I Do If I Have a Dental Emergency?  

What Is a Dental Emergency?

It is a term that describes an urgent and rather severe oral problem. Dental emergencies are often random and can get you quite overwhelmed. Unfortunately, several dental emergencies emerge from advanced and progressed oral problems that have remained untreated for a long time. It is why our dental team at Marlee Dental Office is passionate about sensitizing patients on the essence of regular dental evaluations. These checkups will help detect and treat dental issues early, preventing them from progressing into dental emergencies. Still, emergency dentistry in York, Toronto, provides urgent care to all dental emergencies, regardless of the circumstances.

How to Know You Need Emergency Dental Care

A lot of the time, patients rely on instincts to help them determine when to seek urgent care. However, regarding dental emergencies, consider the following signs:

1. Significant swelling – that may start spreading to other parts of your face.
2. Prolonged bleeding – it is unusual that you would keep bleeding for more than a few minutes since the mouth has a unique mechanism for controlling bleeding.
3. Damaged oral appliances like dental fillings, braces, or dentures
4. Excruciating pain – dental pain can be so bad that it disrupts your entire life.
5. Pus and strange fluids from your gums
6. A foreign object stuck between your teeth.
7. Tooth fracture.
8. Soft tissue injury – leaving an open wound.

What Do You Do When Faced with A Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies are very inconvenient. They will not occur when you are close to a dental clinic. Therefore, you need to be equipped with relevant guidelines to help you manage your dental health at home. The agenda should be to regulate the dental issue, prevent progression, and alleviate your pain.

1. Avoid eating anything – when you have an urgent dental issue, avoid any foods and drinks as they can worsen the condition.
2. Swish salt water in your mouth – it will rinse your mouth while riding it off food debris that may aggravate the problem. Besides, salty water can kill some of the bacteria in your mouth that may cause an infection.
3. Stop the bleeding – using a clean cloth or gauze, stop the bleeding in your mouth. Try biting down the cloth gently, keeping it in place for about 30 minutes. If you need to change the gauze, you can do it accordingly, preferably after every 30 minutes.
4. Take pain medication – over-the-counter pain relievers will help manage your discomfort and even swelling before you visit a dentist.
5. Cold compress – other than pain medication icing your mouth can alleviate some of the pain and swelling. Place an ice bag on the cheek with the most swelling and pain. Take breaks after about 10 or 15 minutes between applications.
6. Find the missing tooth – only applies for cases of knocked-out teeth. If you find the tooth, preserve it by soaking it in milk. Afterward, visit a dentist within the hour, which heightens the chances of tooth restoration.
7. Visit a dentist near you – although you may have things under control at home, you need medical attention from a dentist. Therefore, make haste to find an emergency dentist to treat your urgent problem.

How to Find an Emergency Dentist

The best person to manage your dental emergency is a dentist. You have to find a certified and experienced emergency dentist to treat your oral emergency. When looking for a dental ER, consider the following factors:

1. Accessibility – when you incur an oral emergency, chances are that you will not have a dentist off the top of your head that can help you. The best way to find an emergency dentist is by accessing their contact information online. Such accessibility also makes it convenient for you to make an appointment before you should be up in the dental clinic in person.
2. Proximity – ultimately, an emergency dentist near you will be better at treating you urgently than one who is miles away from you.
3. Availability – find a dental clinic open even on weekends. Since dental emergencies are random, you cannot pick and choose when you get them. As such, it helps to locate an emergency dentist open on weekends.