Dental Emergencies – Don’t Wait to Get it Treated!
Having a toothache emergency is no fun! If you chip a tooth or lose a crown, it can produce anxiety. Some patients have more tolerance than others. Dr Maria Bustamante in Cincinnati, OH is available to help you!
What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?
Anything that affects your eating, sleeping, or causes pain in your mouth could be considered an emergency. But there is a broad spectrum of what might need urgent care. We will elaborate on some of the common toothaches or emergencies that we see in our office. Some toothaches are more of an “annoyance” and others are considered an emergency.
Swelling from an infection. If you have an abscess (a swelling in the tissue), call us immediately! Particularly if the swelling is around your eye or under your tongue or neck. The fluid drainage could potentially affect your ability to breathe. While rare, fluid drainage after oral surgery can pool under the tongue in the neck area. Again, call immediately!
Some minor swelling after getting an injection, or after an extraction are common. Usually, an anti-inflammatory, or cold compress, or pressure from a gauze can help control it. If you also see blood as part of the swelling, then you should call us. Don’t take aspirin if you are experiencing excessive bleeding following an extraction or gum surgery. Let us know if you are any blood thinners prior to any surgery.
Sensitivity that has been undiagnosed. Sensitivity to hot, cold, biting, or pressure is often the body’s way of telling you something is not right. When a tooth is temperature AND pressure sensitive, again, call us. It could need a root canal therapy due to infection. Short duration temperature sensitivity can occasionally happen if a filling was deep (near a nerve) or is a root is exposed. This might indicate a dental visit is advised soon – but not an emergency.
Pain in the joints or locked joints. If your bite is off or you clench your teeth, it can lead to pain in the joints. Sometimes a painful jaw from muscle tightness can be relieved by muscle relaxation, anti-inflammatories, behavioral modification, stress reduction techniques or eating soft foods and wearing a mouth guard or splint.
Broken tooth. If you experience a tooth trauma emergency, it is best to call us right away, especially if you have a tooth knocked out or just pushed out of place. Time is of the essence! If a tooth is reinserted into the socket properly and quickly, the chances of survival are significantly higher than if you wait hours of even days. This type of injury is common in biking, skateboarding, and other sports. If the tooth is knocked out, don’t scrape it, simply put it in a cup of water or milk and bring it with you to the office as soon as possible. A chipped tooth, on the other hand, especially if it is small, is generally more of an inconvenience or esthetic issue. You can come in and treat it soon, but generally this in not a true emergency.
Minor Inconveniences in Dentistry
This could range from a loose orthodontic bracket, a temporary crown coming off, or a filling popping off, to a small chip on a denture, or food stuck in between teeth that you can’t remove. While these should be treated soon, they are often not a true emergency. You can contact the office and we can help you decide if it is a true emergency or not.
At Seven Star Dental, in Cincinnati, we are here to serve YOU. If you are looking for an emergency dental clinic in Cincinnati, we can help! Feel free to give us a call anytime you have a dental concern. Nobody wants to have pain in their mouth and Dr. Maria Bustamante wants you to know that our goal is to give you a comfortable and caring experience each time you visit. Call us today at 513-241-7827 if you are experiencing any dental discomfort and we will make sure to help you address it properly.vc
