What to Do When a Dental Emergency Occurs
Fortunately, most healthcare emergencies, including dental emergencies, are rare. In fact, you may never have a dental emergency at all. That being said, if something does come up, it’s important to know what to do and how to get the help that you need. Here’s an overview of what to do when a dental emergency occurs—if you have more questions, call our team at Distinctive Dental Solutions directly.
Types of Dental Emergencies
If you are experiencing severe pain, bleeding, or another dental emergency, you shouldn’t hesitate to seek care. Common types of dental emergencies that we recommend getting immediate care for include:
- Severe toothache
- Chipped or knocked out tooth
- Lost/loose filling or crown
- Bleeding and serious pain after a tooth extraction or another dental procedure
- Major soft tissue injury, such as split lips, bleeding gums, tongue injury, etc.
- Missing/damaged/broken orthodontics
What to Do When a Dental Emergency Occurs
The first thing to do when a dental emergency occurs is to breathe. If you’re in pain, you may feel panicked. Getting your breath under control will help you to make good, rational decisions moving forward.
Once you’re calm, take a moment to address the situation and do any necessary clean-up. For example, if you’re bleeding, gently soak up blood with gauze and rinse your mouth with water.
Next, call your dentist. If your dentist’s office is open, they can advise you whether you should go to an emergency room, come into the dental office, or perform at-home care.
If you can’t get a hold of your dentist, then you should decide whether or not you need to go to the emergency room. If you are bleeding and the bleeding will not stop, think you may need stitches, or could have a serious infection, you should go to the emergency room. If your pain is severe enough that it cannot be treated with over-the-counter pain medication, you should go to the emergency room.
How to Avoid Dental Emergencies
Some dental emergencies, such as being hit in the face and knocking out a tooth, may be unavoidable. Dental emergencies that involve missing or broken crowns, fillings, and orthodontics are usually avoidable, however. In fact, many of these problems arise from eating foods that are sticky or too hard, damaging dental/oral devices. Following your dentist’s instructions for good oral care is key!
Call Distinctive Dental Solutions Today
If you do have a dental emergency, please call our office immediately. If we are unavailable, we encourage you to seek emergency care in the event of an emergency.
To learn more about our dentists and the services we offer, call our team directly. We are accepting new patients.
