Dental Emergency Conditions, Causes & Precautions

A dental emergency is a medical situation that requires dire attention from a dentist. It usually involves oral health, ranging from teeth, gums, throat, lips, and jaw bone. It is the reason we have emergency dentists in Faifax readily available. Learning to rely on your dentist in Fairfax to cater to your oral health is a habit that can go a long way in sustaining your overall health. There is no telling when a dental emergency can happen, and whether or not to will have the kind of urgent care in Fairfax you would want. Besides, you may never know what causes your oral emergency, and what time of the day it happens.

What Causes A Dental Emergency?

Most Faifax emergency dentists tend to patients whose emergencies result from accidents. Falling on the staircase or having a car accident can all be reasons you need your Fairfax dentist. However, some of the injuries are accounted for by sporting activities. Dental emergencies are not only for kids who love to play around and can get hurt easily. Adults involved in intense sporting activities require a dentist in Farifax VA for when such oral emergencies occur.

What Kinds of Injuries Require Emergency Dental Care?

All oral conditions should not be rushed to a dentist in 22031 as dental emergencies. Sometimes, all you may be needing is a dental exam by a dentist near you. It is why it’s important to know what situations cut it as dental emergencies, and when you must see a doctor. Some of the situations include:

1. Missing tooth – if one or two of your teeth have been knocked out accidentally, there is cause to see a dentist. This is especially needful for adults because they no longer have new teeth to look forward to as do kids. The importance of calling a dentist is to control the bleeding and to restore the tooth before it is too late to save it.

2. Bleeding – bleeding can be expected when you accidentally bite your cheeks or scratch your gum when eating. However, the mouth is capable of controlling the bleeding that happens inside. Therefore, if you are experiencing continuous bleeding that will not stop, it should be a cause for alarm. The bleeding can indicate a severesevere oral situation, ranging from gum disease to oral cancer.

3. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction – do you feel pain in the joints of your mouth when you chew? Are you having a hard time opening your mouth fully? The joint that connects your upper and lower jaw is called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). When the joint is dysfunctional, a lot of the mouth’s activities are paused. This could mean having your mouth stuck in the open position, or simply weird noises at the joint when you open and close your mouth.

4. Bleeding tongue – the tongue is a very powerful muscle. However, biting can be painful and uncomfortable. If you accidentally bite yourself and the bleeding will not stop, your dentist needs to be involved in the matter.

What to Do In Case of a Dental Emergency

1. Find the missing tooth – the idea is to retain your natural teeth for as long as possible. When one of them is knocked out, find it and keep it moist. You can use salty water to keep it moist while fighting the infection. However, if you are brave enough, try to restore the tooth in its socket. At all times, make sure you avoid touching the root of the tooth.

2. Use cold compress – this is especially needful for pain and swelling. It will help reduce inflammation and cool off some of the pain in the affected area.

3. Gargle clean water – clean water will help rinse off any dirt and bacteria that could cause infection. It also helps slow down the bleeding.

4. Call your dentist – if you have a family dentist, then call them. Otherwise, reach out to any dentist near you as soon as you can.

Precautions to Prevent Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies can be prevented in some of the following ways:

1. Wearing a mouthguard to protect your teeth, especially during sports activities.

2. Avoiding hard things – this includes cutting, breaking, or opening things with your teeth.

3. Practice chewing properly – to prevent frequent accidental bites on your tongue or cheeks.