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Who Is An Emergency Dentist?
An emergency dentist is exactly who it sounds like – a dental practitioner who provides emergency services. There are plenty of times in one’s life where one would find themselves in a situation that requires immediate professional intervention.
However, how exactly do you differentiate between a scenario that requires emergency care versus one that does not?
What Cases Come Under Emergency Dentistry?
Plenty of cases are categorized as emergencies and require a trip to your emergency dentist at Anoka Dental. Some of them are –
Severe Toothache
Pain is never a good sign. Persistent, throbbing pain, which affects your daily routine is a symptom that should never be ignored. Severe toothaches can occur because of various reasons, some of them being decay, infection, and possibly injury.
If the pain doesn’t go away on taking over-the-counter painkillers, it is advised that you call your emergency dentist ASAP. They will examine your oral cavity for the cause of the pain and make sure it is taken care of.
Loose Teeth
As an adult, you should never experience your teeth loosening or moving within their cavity. Your teeth are mature and sturdy enough to help you live a healthy lifestyle. A couple of causes for your teeth feeling loose are infection due to gum disease or decay, or an injury.
In any case, loose teeth are a sign that should not be taken lightly. This issue can also be pretty painful and therefore, require professional intervention. Your dentist at Anoka Dental will advise a couple of X-rays to get to the bottom of the cause and proceed from there.
Infections have to be taken care of before they spread and wreak further havoc in your oral cavity. The sooner you get treated, the better the outcome.
Broken or Chipped Tooth
Maybe you’ve bitten down on something too hard? Or maybe you’ve hurt yourself causing a tooth or multiple teeth to chip or break. This condition can be pretty painful due to the nerves of the teeth getting exposed.
If you find yourself in such a situation, apply a piece of clean gauze to the broken or chipped tooth to prevent bleeding. Additionally, apply an ice pack on the area of your face that is close to the affected tooth. This will help control the swelling and relieve pain.
Call your emergency dentist at Anoka Dental and set up an appointment right away!
Knocked-Out Teeth
Similar to broken and chipped teeth, injury can lead to your tooth or teeth falling out of their sockets. If you get caught in this unfortunate circumstance, pick up the tooth by the crown – and NEVER the root! Touching the root can damage the nerve fibers and tissue fragments, rendering the tooth non-vital. Run the tooth under running water without scrubbing it.
If you can, place the knocked-out tooth back into its socket without applying excessive pressure. Bite down on a clean gauze and give us a call stat! If you feel that you’re unable to place the tooth into the socket, dunk it into clean water or a glass of milk.
Time is of the essence when it comes to a tooth that has been knocked out. Set up a visit with your emergency dentist as soon as possible.
Abscess or Pus Drainage
Infections occurring in the mouth are serious, particularly the ones near the tooth root or between the gums and teeth. These can be extremely painful and can lead to an abscess formation or pus drainage. These are commonly caused by untreated cavities, severe gum disease, or trauma.
Some symptoms associated with an abscess are a foul taste in your mouth, milky fluid leaking in your mouth, swollen glands, fever, etc. Treatment should never be delayed in cases of an oral abscess. If not taken care of, infections in the oral cavity can be fatal.
Teeth with abscesses require immediate dental attention. These are taken care of by incision and drainage, followed by medication. Your dentist at Anoka Dental will also treat the root cause of the infection.
Broken, Displaced, Or Damaged Dental Appliances
While not necessarily an emergency, a hampered dental appliance becomes a hindrance in your daily life. Whether it’s a dental crown that has dislodged, a broken orthodontic wire, or a warped denture – all of these cases require a trip to your dentist at the earliest convenience.
Get in touch with your emergency dentist at Anoka Dental and they’ll be more than happy to fit you into their schedule.
Bleeding or Severe Pain After A Dental Extraction
Some bleeding and soreness is normal after tooth extraction. However, if the situation persists even after an hour or two, it’s time to call your emergency dentist. Uncontrolled bleeding is a sign that should never be ignored – extraction or not.
Some people also experience extreme pain a couple of days after an extraction. This condition is called a “dry socket” and can only be treated by a dental professional.
Place a clean gauze over the bleeding site and bite down. Call your dentist. And in the meantime, avoid eating, drinking, sucking, spitting, or smoking.
Trending question: When is it Safe to Smoke After Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
Why Is Emergency Dental Care Important?
Emergencies strike when you least expect it. Having said that, when you’ve managed to damage a tooth or injure your mouth outside of business hours, that is when you require an emergency dentist. Maybe you’ve met with an accident, you’re experiencing a pesky toothache, or you’ve lost a crown – you require emergency dental care.
Having an emergency dentist helps avoid the state of helplessness during a dental emergency.
While Anoka Dental has its hours of operation, our doctors are more than happy to help you out in your time of need. We will schedule you as quickly as possible to treat your dental emergency. Not only that – we will also make sure you get high-quality dental care to get rid of your dental issues.
Give us a call to book an appointment with Anoka Dental experts – (763) 421-4002.
