The 7 Commonly Known Dental Emergencies and How You Can Prevent Them

Dental emergencies lead to potentially severe oral health issues and require urgent treatment upon identification. If you neglect dental emergencies, your natural tooth is likely permanently damaged. Our emergency dentist in New Port, Richey, recommends you avoid extensive dental procedures by seeking immediate treatment. However, not all dental issues constitute emergencies, and this article explores 7 common dental emergencies and how to prevent them.

How to Determine if You Have a Dental Emergency

A painful tooth may compel you to visit your dentist, but not all dental cases require emergency treatment. The dentist near you can determine if your oral health issue is a non-emergency or a dental emergency. Dental emergency cases occur unexpectedly and may lead to traumatic injuries and severe bleeding, among other severe dental issues.

Severe infection on soft oral tissues and tooth dislodge are among severe issues that may require immediate medical treatment. In addition, if you encounter mouth trauma that results in severe bleeding, you should consider visiting the emergency dental office near you.

7 Common Dental Emergencies

Below are some common dental emergencies that you might encounter:

1. Toothaches

Toothaches are an indication of an underlying dental health issue. You can apply a cold compress pack to minimize inflammation if the severely painful tooth is swollen. Additionally, Dr. Van recommends rinsing your mouth with warm water and using pain relievers and dental floss to eliminate food particles between your teeth.

2. Facial Trauma

Facial trauma may expose you to cracked, chipped, or broken teeth. You may also experience facial swelling, and you need to undergo immediate treatment. Tooth chips, cracks, or nerve damage is painful and may lead to adverse effects if left unattended. Our dentist in New Port Richey advises you to wear your mouth guard when engaging in sporting activities to prevent mouth and traumatic facial injury.

3. Bleeding Gums

If your gum tissues bleed after a dental floss or cleaning, you need to visit your emergency dentist since it may be a sign of gum disease. If untreated, periodontal disease may develop, leading to permanent loss of your teeth, severe bleeding, and gum tissue swelling. If the condition spreads to your bone, it may lead to deterioration and bone loss. You can undergo professional cleaning and flossing to eliminate plaque between teeth on the gum line, which leads to gum disease.

4. Dental Abscess

Your tooth roots may be infected by bacteria, forming pus o gum tissues. If untreated, the condition may spread to other parts leading to swollen gum tissues and severe pain in adjacent tissues. You can alleviate pain by using recommended mouth rinses.

5. Avulsed tooth

If your tooth is detached from its socket, you need to seek immediate treatment. The dentist in New Port Richey will rinse off the debris and save the tooth from permanent loss. Your tooth can be preserved and reinserted if you seek help immediately after knock-out.

6. Chipped or broken teeth

Unprecedented mouth trauma may lead to chipped or broken teeth. You can save the tooth pieces and rinse them before getting to your dentist. If you are bleeding, you can apply gauze to halt bleeding and use a cold compress pack to prevent swelling.

7. TMJ Inflammation

You might have TMJ disorder if you clench your teeth, especially unknowingly during the night. The condition occurs due to stress between jaw muscles leading to severe pain and inflammation. You need to seek help from the dental office near you to prevent the pain and inflammation and manage the disorder.

The Basics of Preventing a Dental Emergency

Dental emergencies are inevitable. However, at Dental Arts in New Port Richey, we recommend you avoid facing traumatic injuries and severe dental issues. Instead, our specialists guide you follow these preventive measures:

• Follow proper oral hygiene measures to preserve your oral tissues from infections.
• Undergo regular dental visits for dental cleaning, exams, and fluoride treatment
• Wear protective mouth guards to shield you from traumatic injuries while engaging in physical activities
• Undergo timely replacement for loose orthodontic appliances
• Floss between teeth to remove plaque and food particles that eventually cause enamel erosion
• Seek immediate treatment when you encounter a dental emergency

If you are faced with any dental emergency, please visit our emergency dentist in New Port Richey and find immediate treatment.