Dental emergencies are never anticipated. You may endure a dental injury while walking down the street or playing a favorite game. Without the proper help, a dental crisis can be a long and painful ordeal that can lead to tooth loss and other health complications. Thankfully, your local dentist is trained and equipped to deal with dental emergencies so you can get back to your everyday life as soon as possible. Here are a few of the most common dental emergencies and how they can be treated.
Severe Toothache
Toothaches have a nasty way of hitting you hard from out of nowhere. You may be sitting at your desk one day and suddenly feel a sharp, throbbing pain in one of your teeth. Often, this is the result of untreated tooth decay breaching the hard outer layers of your tooth and infecting the pulp inside.
To treat this, your dentist will probably perform a root canal. During this procedure, the decayed tooth structure and infected pulp will be removed, the inner chamber will be cleaned, sanitized, and filled, and the tooth will be sealed to prevent any further infections. The tooth will then be fitted with a crown to restore its function and appearance. This whole process is performed with a local anesthetic, rendering it completely painless.
Fractured Teeth
Fractured teeth are quite painful and can happen for many reasons. Sometimes someone suffers a blow to the mouth. Other times they might bite too hard on a nut, popcorn kernel, or some other hard food, or maybe they grind their teeth in their sleep. In many cases, it happens because people are chewing on ice, pen caps, or other objects or even because they are using their teeth as tools to open a bottle or a package.
If your tooth is fractured, your dentist may be able to treat it with dental bonding or a crown to restore its integrity. Dental bonding involves filling in damaged areas with tooth-colored composite resin. This putty-like material will be shaped to match your tooth’s natural contours and hardened with a special light, giving you a natural-looking restoration that can be completed in minutes. If your dentist offers CEREC one-visit dental crowns, a more severely damaged tooth can be covered with a lifelike restoration in a matter of hours.
Dislodged Teeth
If your tooth is knocked out of the gum, it may still be able to be saved if you get to the dentist’s office as soon as possible. Your tooth’s chances of being reimplanted begin to fall after thirty minutes, and it is best to get to the office before one hour has passed. If the dentist’s office is not open, pharmacies or emergency rooms can provide you with treatments that can keep a tooth in savable condition for up to twenty-four hours. Be sure to never touch the tooth’s root and transport it by placing it in the gum, lip, a container with some saliva, or a cup of milk. Call the dentist to let them know you are coming.
Your dentist is prepared to handle these and other dental emergencies. Keeping their office number in your address book can set you up to bring your crisis to the best possible conclusion.
About the Practice
Painesville Dental Group provides patients with outstanding dental care at four locations in Painesville, Chardon, and Jefferson, OH. Led by Drs. Dennis Horvath, Jerry V. Patriarca, Nicholas Slezak, and Stephanie Pichler, the staff creates a warm and welcoming environment using the latest technology and old-fashioned customer service. Services include general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, dial (440) 354-2183 or contact the office online to schedule an appointment.