Imagine you are enjoying a cold treat and suddenly a sharp pain rips through your tooth and gums. Your initial reaction may be to take two pain pills and tough it out, but when you experience oral pain you should contact your dentist as quickly as possible. If what you are experiencing is a dental emergency, then ignoring it may result in more damage and a more expensive bill to fix it.
What Is A Dental Emergency
The word “emergency” might cause panic when you hear it, but when we talk about a dental emergency we are referring to a time-sensitive issue that needs to be diagnosed and treated by our team at Premier Dental Center Bulverde. If you are experiencing tooth pain, you should contact your dentist right away even if it is not listed in the below common dental emergencies people experience.
The most common dental emergencies are:
● Losing a tooth
● Abscess tooth
● Severe toothache
● Lost crown or filling
● Swollen jaw or mouth
● Severe pain or bleeding
● Cracked, chipped, or fractured tooth
● Food or object lodged in tooth
Some of these might be easy to spot, such as losing a tooth or filling, but here’s what to look out for if you have an abscessed tooth:
- Abscessed Tooth. If you have an abscessed tooth, you will typically find a painful bump on your gums with a white surface, you may experience tender lymph nodes, fever, and toothache. Swelling is associated with areas of your jaw and face being tender to touch, swollen gums, or bleeding.
When Should You Contact Your Dentist
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you should contact our dentists right away and make an appointment. Until you can make it to your appointment, here are some things you can do to ease your discomfort:
- Lost Tooth. If you have lost a tooth, attempt to save it by picking it up without touching the root, rinsing gently, and storing it in water with a pinch of salt, milk, or between your cheek and jaw.
- Pain. For pain management, rinse your mouth with a mild salt water solution, and apply a cold compress to the impacted area. If your gums are irritated, avoid taking over-the-counter pain relievers to avoid further irritating or burning the gums. When dealing with a toothache or something lodged in your teeth, try flossing gently to dislodge and rinse with warm water to loosen stubborn particles.
Don’t Tough It Out
You don’t have to go through this alone, we have a full staff of capable and committed dental professionals that are here to assist you in a dental emergency. We understand how disruptive tooth pain can be and offer same-day appointments to ensure you are taken care of as quickly as possible. Contact us today to schedule your next appointment.