When you have a dental emergency, whether it's caused by a sudden accident or chronic disease your teeth and/or the tissues of the mouth that surround them need to receive proper care right away. Searching for help in Henrico can be difficult on a whim, but we the Short Pump Dental team are here to help.
Traumatic Dental Injuries and Treatment
A knocked-out permanent tooth requires quick thinking and immediate action. You'll increase the chances that the tooth can be saved if you pick it up without touching the root, gently clean it off with water, and put it back in its socket facing the correct way. Hold it in place with gentle pressure as you rush to the dental office or emergency room. If you can't replant it immediately, tuck it between the patient's cheek and gum or carry it in a container filled with cold milk.
For a traumatic injury such as a tooth that has been moved or loosened the treatment needs to occur within six hours. However, if there is uncontrollable bleeding, immediately head to the ER. Fortunately, other dental injuries that happen more frequently are less severe. The most common traumatic dental injuries are chipped teeth. Even if the chip is minor it is important to have your dentist evaluate it to ensure there will not be any underlying problems.
Tooth Pain and the Benefits of Teeth Cleaning
Acute or persistent tooth pain always signals a need for an urgent visit to the dental office. The most common cause of dental pain is tooth decay, a bacterial infection that can spread through many parts of the tooth. A simple teeth cleaning session may not do much, a filling or crown may be necessary
Sometimes, tooth pain indicates that you may need a root canal treatment which is a procedure that not only relieves the pain of an irreversibly inflammed nerve or infection deep inside the tooth but also can keep the tooth from having to be removed. Other times, pain may be caused by a loose filling or simple sensitivity. The only way to know for sure what's causing your tooth pain is to make an appointment at the dental office right away.
Gum Emergencies
Injuries and infections involving the soft tissues of the mouth may also require emergency treatment. The tissues of the gums, tongue, or cheek lining can be damaged by accidental bites, falls, sports injuries, and scalding liquids. They may also suffer injury from foreign bodies that become lodged below the gum line. What's more, they can develop painful and potentially serious abscesses. A periodontal (gum) abscess is a pus-filled sac caused by an infection and is usually quite painful. Abscesses require immediate evaluation at the dental office.
Any injury to the soft tissues of the mouth should be rinsed with diluted salt water. Visible debris should be cleared away. Bleeding can usually be controlled by pressing a clean, damp material on the area for 15-30 minutes. If this does not work, go to the emergency room immediately.
A foreign body lodged beneath the gum line can sometimes be gently worked out with dental floss or a toothpick. But if this can't be accomplished easily, make a dental appointment so the area does not become damaged and/or infected.
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