Sometimes our dental needs extend beyond the routine cleaning and x-rays from our regular visits twice a year. Sometimes there’s a need for emergency dental care and like the bat signal is lit to call Batman, the pain from a dental emergency is certain to summon your dentist and any superhero powers they may possess.
Reasons for Emergency Dental Care
Many of us maintain the habit of checking in with our dentist twice a year to have our teeth cleaned and to take preventative measures in oral health, but occasionally we may have to reach out to our dentist in between. The most common emergency dental care needs are toothaches, missing teeth, and fractured teeth.
Toothaches
There are very few types of pain that compare to pain in the mouth. A toothache is no exception. Most toothaches are caused by an abscess of sorts where there’s an area particularly swollen, sometimes even filled with pus, that results in extreme discomfort. There could be a cavity that has become deeper and exposed a nerve that is raw and in need of treatment as soon as possible. Regardless of the cause, chances are slim to none that you can resolve the pain on your own and emergency dental care becomes a very real need. Don’t hesitate contacting your dentist as waiting could easily make the situation, and the pain, worse.
Missing Teeth
As adults, we like to think of our teeth as permanent and the option of losing them is buried beneath our childhood visions of tooth fairies and money under our pillow. The very real truth, which any athlete will attest to, is that teeth can be knocked out. If you find yourself missing a tooth, the first choice should be to make every attempt of finding it. If you’re successfully able to retrieve it, rinse it and soak it in your own saliva, if possible. Try not to handle it any more than you have to and make an appointment for emergency dental care as quickly as your fingers can dial the number.
Fractured Teeth
While a missing tooth is possible, it’s not necessarily the only outcome of mouth trauma. A tooth can become fractured, sending pain from your mouth to seemingly every part of you. Fractured teeth are often the result of sports accidents or even weaker teeth in contact with hard candy. Regardless of the cause, it’s best to take a small pain reliever and make an appointment to have it addressed.
When it comes to emergency dental care, let the professionals do what they do best. While superheroes are fighting crime, your dentist will be relieving pain. If you’re in the Angleton area, the cape-wearing team at Angleton Family Dental is available for all of your dental emergencies.
