There are lots of reasons you may need an emergency dentist, adult teeth are very valuable since you only get one set of permanent teeth. If something should compromise the adult teeth then you must be incredibly careful with them and you should find a way to keep them healthy. The good news is you can do a lot to protect against most dental emergencies so they are much less likely to occur. People often experience dental emergencies due to neglect over a longer time frame. You should never forget about proper basic hygiene, it’s very easy to do, cheap to maintain, and will make a huge positive impact on your world.
Types Of Dental Emergencies
- Knocked out tooth – This is a very common issue, even with perfect teeth you can still get a tooth knocked out due to trauma. The better your teeth are, the less likely you are to experience this, so you should always attempt to keep your teeth in perfect health.
- Broken/chipped/fractured teeth – You may get hit hard enough to have your teeth broken or fractured but not actually knocked out. This is far more desirable than actually losing a tooth since all you need for a fix is a crown, or maybe a filling.
- Lost crown or filling – This can be an issue since a crown or filling will plug openings that bacteria could use to attack the pulp of the tooth. Once bacteria gets inside the tooth you could eventually be dealing with a dental abscess, which is one of the worst emergency dental issues you could have.
- Severe toothache – If you have such a bad toothache that you’re literally losing sleep over it, it’s time to see someone. Or if this toothache feels more severe to you than you may be used to, get it checked out.
- Bleeding gums – Are your gums bleeding more than normal? If they are, go see an emergency dentist. If the amount of blood is alarming, or they are so sensitive that they bleed profusely when barely agitated, it should set off some red flags.
How To Prevent Emergencies
- Breaks/fractures/knocked out teeth – Wear a helmet, mouthguard, or both, depending on the sport, this is especially important for physically intense sports, motor sports, or intense weightlifting. Having a full set of teeth is more important than looking cool.
- Gum disease and decay – Brushing, flossing, rinsing, and 2 checkups a year. This will help significantly.
- Stains and cavities – Same as the previous point. Also try focusing on foods that aren’t as high in sugar, and don’t stain teeth. I.e. coffee, alcohol etc.
The Hard Truth
If you are experiencing any of these unfortunate issues, a regular dental clinic may not be enough, some emergency dentists are open 24/7 all year around. We do this specifically so you can have professional dental help as soon as you need it regardless of the time of year, week, or day. Prevention is always the best protection when it comes to anything regarding your dental care. Dental issues are generally unplanned, and often costly, if you don’t have great insurance it can add up very fast.
