An emergency dentist is an oral health professional who treats patients who require urgent and immediate attention due to an accident or an inconceivable discomfort that can´t wait to schedule an appointment with their regular dentist. The concept of the emergency dentist provides care within 24 hours to ensure and protect the teeth, jaw, and gums.
A dental emergency can happen at any time. The less time it takes to go to the dental clinic, the better the chances of saving the tooth.
When you suffer an injury to your teeth, gums, or any other part of your mouth, it´s important to get help quickly. Although oral injuries don´t always involve pain, you shouldn´t ignore the dental emergency because it could become complicated and lead to the loss of the tooth.
The first moments are very important because they can make the difference between losing the affected tooth or not. So, how should we act in case of a dental emergency?
When you suffer a dental emergency, the first thing you should do is call your dental clinic immediately to inform them about the situation and follow the pertinent recommendations.
Dental emergencies or trauma involving the face and mouth that require immediate medical attention are:
There are other types of dental emergencies that aren´t as serious or life-threatening but also require immediate attention and you should go to the emergency dentist:
Blows while practicing sports, accidents, inflammation, infections, toothache, or development of wisdom teeth... These types of dental emergencies are characterized by being unpredictable and very sudden and can occur at any time. In all cases it´s very important to go to the emergency dentist immediately to preserve the health of the tooth. of course, the first thing to remember when you have a dental emergency is to call Dr. Diana M. Rangel, DDS. You can find us at 518 N. Court Street, Suite C Visalia, CA.
In summary, there are different types of dental emergencies. The most common is the sudden fracture or loss of a tooth due to a blow. Another common dental emergency is a toothache, which in many cases occurs overnight.
Severe dental pain - This is the most common dental emergency. Toothache appears from one day to the next and causes intense pain, which alters speech or chewing. If you have severe dental pain, you should visit your emergency dentist as soon as possible to diagnose the source of the problem. Once the source of the pain and possibly the infection has been located, the emergency dentist will indicate the best treatment to deal with the pain in your particular case.
Avulsion of permanent teeth - You should keep the tooth in saline, milk, or inside the mouth, as saliva will help keep it moist. From there, it´s important that you go to the emergency dentist so that he can successfully reimplant the tooth. In this sense, time is crucial, so you should come as soon as possible since in these cases, the speed of action determines the chances of success.
Broken or fractured teeth - In some cases, the blows may involve the total or partial loss of a tooth. Dental trauma may not fracture or break your tooth, but it can cause the death of the tooth's nerve and a root canal may be necessary to prevent it from becoming infected.
Severe lip, tongue, or cheek bites - Cover the cut with a damp cloth and apply compression to stop the bleeding. To reduce swelling, apply cold and go to the emergency dentist for evaluation.
No. Hospital emergency rooms do not usually have an emergency dentist on staff. In the event that a patient comes in with an emergency of this type, he/she will most likely be given antibiotics or painkillers and will be instructed to see a dentist.
But it´s also important to emphasize that in an emergency room it´s illegal for anyone, other than a licensed dentist, to perform an emergency tooth extraction or other dental care treatment.