Everyone needs to know what to do in the event of an emergency, including those that involve the teeth. The first steps of getting emergency dental care include knowing where to go for treatment and what to do in the meantime. Taking the proper steps to get care could save a tooth or help reduce healing time. If you require emergency dental services, please reach out to Wambaugh Dental today at 281.501.7849.
What Situations Require Emergency Dental Services?
Emergency dental care treats injuries that require prompt care to preserve the teeth or prevent more extensive damage. Situations that typically constitute dental emergencies include the following:
- Knocked out tooth
- Dislodged tooth
- Broken jaw
- Broken or cracked tooth
- Severe tooth pain
- Object lodged between teeth
Most of the above include traumatic injuries to the teeth that require immediate care. Therefore, anyone who experiences a traumatic injury needs care from a dentist offering emergency dental services.
First Steps to Take for Those Needing Emergency Dental Care
Actions taken after an injury can make a difference in healing time, comfort, and whether a tooth becomes permanently lost.
In the case of knocked-out teeth, reducing the time until the tooth gets placed back into the socket increases the chances of keeping the tooth. While waiting for emergency dental care, keep the tooth in milk and never let it dry out. Waiting more than 30 minutes or mishandling the lost tooth could prevent a dentist from successfully replanting the tooth. If this happens, the patient will have a hole in the smile due to the natural tooth’s loss. To replace the tooth, the patient may require a dental implant to fill the space in the mouth.
Dislodged teeth need immediate dental care. Patients should never try to wiggle the tooth or move it back into place on their own. A dentist can assess the tooth and determine if additional treatments need to help keep the tooth healthy.
As with knocked-out teeth and dislodged teeth, a broken jaw also requires care as soon as possible. Don’t try to move the jaw to avoid causing further damage.
For cracked teeth, severe toothache, or an object lodged between the teeth, get to a dentist as soon as possible. These situations need urgent evaluations by a dentist to determine their severity and the type of treatment required.
Some of these situations may require root canal treatment to remove infectious material inside the tooth, especially if the injury caused an opening in the tooth to allow foreign matter inside. Specific treatments will vary based on the type of injury and extent. Without dental care following an emergency, a patient could permanently lose a tooth or develop a severe infection.
How to Prevent a Future Need for Emergency Dental Services
While dental emergencies happen, they are preventable incidences. Those who engage in sports, both high and no-impact activities, should wear sports mouthguards to protect their teeth and mouth from traumatic injuries.
To avoid infections that can cause severe toothaches, patients should have regular preventative dental care, such as cleanings and exams to correct minor cavities before they spread and become dental abscesses, which can cause severe pain.
With proper preventative measures, patients can avoid the pain and costs of experiencing a dental emergency. However, if an injury or other emergency occurs, they should immediately phone their dentist’s office to alert the staff that they are on the way and need urgent care.
Reach Out to Wambaugh Dental
Dental emergencies can happen, and Wambaugh Dental is here to provide our patients with emergency dental services in The Woodlands, TX. Keep our office number 281.501.7849 handy to call us if for emergency dental care. For any questions about our emergency services, contact us on our website. Reacting to an emergency starts now with planning and knowing the steps to take when trauma happens.
