When someone says “emergency room,” what do you think of? Probably a hospital, right? That’s completely normal. After all, medical emergencies are all too common. But medical emergencies are not the only kind of emergency you can experience. What would you do in case of a dental emergency in Lethbridge?
Absolute Dental is here to respond to your dental emergencies 24 hours per day and seven days per week. While no one wants to think about medical or dental emergencies ahead of time, a little bit of information can go a long way in a tense moment and urgent situation. There are several common situations that come a lot at an emergency dentist near you. Here are three common dental emergency situations, and what you need to know about how to handle them.
Toothaches
Toothaches are surprisingly common and come in many different varieties, including a throbbing and overall ache and piercing and sharp pain. The most common source of toothache pain is tooth decay, in which case your discomfort is likely to worsen. It’s not going to get better on its own. Since waiting won’t help bring you any relief and will only make things worse, don’t wait before calling an emergency dentist near you. Our emergency dentist or staff will ask you some questions about what you’re experiencing and, if appropriate, get you in to see a dentist as soon as possible.
What should you do about your toothache in the interim? Alternated between holding a warm cloth or a bag of ice or frozen veggies against the side of your face. Be sure to wrap that bag of frozen veggies in a towel. Placing frozen objects against your face can burn your skin if you’re not careful.
Chipped and cracked teeth
While the tiniest and shallowest chips and cracks may not always be a dental emergency, your dentist in Lethbridge will be able to make that assessment much better than you. Cracks can be much deeper than they appear and, if so, can undermine the structural integrity of your tooth and even expose you to serious infection and pain. If you’ve suffered a broken or chipped tooth, contact us so we can determine how serious and urgent the situation is. Your dentist in Lethbridge will take all action possible to save your tooth.
If you find the chip that came off your tooth, rinse it off with warm water to remove as much dirt as you can, then place it into a glass of milk. Bring it with you. Your dentist may be able to restore it to its rightful place.
A tooth that’s been knocked out
If you’ve had a tooth knocked out in an accident, sporting collision, assault, or any situation, contact an emergency dentist near you as soon as possible. An emergency dentist will be able to help with your pain, stop bleeding, reduce the risk of infection and — if you act quickly enough — may even be able to save your tooth.
While you’re waiting for your appointment at the emergency dentist in Lethbridge, you can stop your bleeding by biting down gently on some clean gauze or (if you don’t have gauze) some clean cloth. If you can find the tooth that was knocked out of your mouth, pick it up carefully (by the crown and without touching any root or tissue) and rinse it gently with clean water. If you can get the tooth back into your socket easily, do that. Don’t use any pressure, and don’t worry if it doesn’t slip back into the socket easily. Just place the tooth into some milk and bring it with you. Remember, the longer you wait in calling an emergency dentist near you, the less likely we’ll be able to save your tooth, so don’t hesitate.
Dental emergencies will always be stressful moments, but with this information and our emergency phone number on your fridge or on your phone, we hope they’ll be less frantic. While we hope we never see you in an emergency situation, we’re here to help if the worst comes to worst.