All you need to know about dental emergencies
Dental emergencies occur more often than you realise. There is a broad spectrum of issues that can arise within this area. In recent times, the occurrence of such emergencies has increased among people aged 19 to 49 years. The general attitude towards such conditions is casual; however, the risk of a dental emergency developing into a serious issue increases when the problem is downplayed. It is important that the problem is dealt with as soon as any indications of an emergency arise. Handling such occurrences promptly ultimately makes it easier to restore the tooth that has suffered trauma, besides saving up on treatment costs.
Contents
- What is dental emergency?
- Dental pain
- Distinguishing between a dental emergency and a regular dental faux pas
- Types of dental emergencies
- What to do in the event of a dental emergency
- Treating dental emergencies
- Surgical treatments
- Paying for emergency dental care
What is dental emergency?
The term dental emergency is used for a broad number of issues involving oral health. It may be something to do with the teeth or supporting tissues and needs urgent medical attention from a professional. Such emergencies do not necessarily have to do with pain, even though in most cases the pain is the first indicator that you have a dental emergency. The pain experienced at this time comes from the tooth or the tissues in the painful area. Sometimes the pain may feel like it is originating from the tooth even though its origin is an independent source. In a dental emergency, the dentist determines what treatment to administer depending on the type of pain experienced since each tissue gives different messages.
There are many types of dental emergencies that can stem from viral, fungal or bacterial infections as well as structural damage such as a chipped or broken tooth and each would require a unique approach to treatment. As for dental trauma involving any type of fracture, injury can occur anywhere including the tooth itself and the surrounding bone. Falling out, fracturing or
dental restoration can be considered dental emergencies since in all cases there is some impact to functionality or aesthetics. As such, each should be treated like an emergency and be tended to immediately. Emergencies of all kinds should be left to a professional to treat. Going to a dentist for your emergency also plays a role in preserving the tooth for a long period. It also ensures that you keep looking good.
A dental emergency also depends on the individual
There is no definition that can be said to cover everything when it comes to dental emergencies. However, comparing to the definition for medical emergencies, dental emergencies can be said to vary with the person. A condition is considered to be a medical condition if it threatens life, limb, and vision or has long-term medical implications. Dental issues rarely fit this description. Nevertheless, the individual’s readiness to get emergency medical assistance may also be considered in defining dental emergencies. The idea is considered since sometimes the emergency bears aesthetic implications rather than physical pain. For instance, one may not be in pain when a filling, bridge or crown is lost but their appearance is affected such that they find corrective measures urgent. This, to these patients, is a dental emergency.
Dental pain
The first thing to do when investigating dental pain should be finding its origin. In most cases, the pain emanates from dental sources but there is the chance that it could come from non-dental sources as in the case of myofascial inflammation, maxillary sinusitis, ears, nasal tissue, migraine headache, and temporomandibular joints. Such causes that have nothing to do with the dental formula should not be considered.
Distinguishing between a dental emergency and a regular dental faux pas
Dental emergency is a term that can be interpreted differently by different people as we all have our own limits of pain tolerance and ways of reacting to such unexpected circumstances. However, one way to look at it is whether the issue can wait for a regular appointment or needs to be fixed before the next appointment comes as is the case with oral traumas.
In the case where you attend a regular check up with your dentist and are advised to undergo some treatment, this may not be considered as an emergency, unless under the doctor’s instructions. This scenario will require you to set up an appointment for the dental work to be done at a later time. In the case of emergencies, both the doctor and the patient have to think fast and deal with the problem at hand to mitigate its effects.
In some cases, one may not be aware whether they are undergoing a true dental emergency. There are a number of questions you can ask yourself to ascertain whether you are indeed going through dental trauma that requires immediate medical help;
• Do you have a lose tooth?
• Are your gums swollen or bulging in any way?
• Do you have any swelling in the facial area and/or mouth?
• Have you taken a heavy blow to the mouth or face?
• Are you experiencing severe pain?
If you have answered yes to any of the questions above, then you might be in urgent need of a dentist and should call one immediately. In describing your condition to the dentist, it is important to be specific and as vivid as possible so that they know exactly what happened and how you are feeling. If you have sensitivity to cold foods or are experiencing pain when you bite down, you should also call your dentist and get professional help.
Types of dental emergencies
To most people, oral pain is nothing new. A large section of the populace has had to deal with a problematic tooth at one point or another in their lifetime. The immense pain that comes with having some sort of dental issue has been known to cause vasovagal syncope. However, most cases involve a numbing pain that subsides only for a short time on taking pain killers and then coming
back after a short while. The acute condition usually comes after a short period of symptoms, but is so severe that the patient’s life grinds to a halt. There are different types of acute conditions that may arise from a variety of factors; nonetheless, they are all debilitating. Let’s take a look;
1. Cellulitis
Swelling or abscess can be caused by bacterial infection in the facial region. Cellulitis occurs when this infection spreads through connective tissues spaces. The infection causes painful brawny, diffuse swelling. The skin in this region is usually red, shiny and tense. Cellulitis is a condition that can develop in a matter of hours and spread to the floor of the mouth and pharyngeal spaces. The condition is exacerbated by a local oral infection that has been ignored or managed poorly. When the infection spreads to the floor of the mouth, it makes it hard to swallow saliva and pools of saliva may be observed from the patient’s mouth. With such indications, the patient is usually in dire need of medical attention.
2. Orofacial swelling
Swelling occurs when fluid accumulates in tissues and may occur anywhere in the body in a localized area or all though the system. The swelling may be intra-oral or external. Cause of such swelling arises from different forms of trauma such as, a result of fracturing, hematoma, TMJ dislocation or infection and inflammation. This type of swelling can affect a number of areas including buccal space, lips, palate, and gums.
3. Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage commonly occurs due to injury or dental extraction. These are the two main ways through which most people bleed. Aside from this, hemorrhage may occur unexpectedly for other reasons such as haematological abnormality like leukemia or from gingival tissue.
4. Pericoronitis
The condition occurs when the soft tissue around the crown of a tooth which has partly erupted gets inflamed. The severe form of the condition can bring the patient a lot of anguish and pain. In most cases, the sharp pain is transferred to other regions close to the affected area, causing so much agony that the individual lacks sleep. It is also accompanied by discharge of pus, pain when swallowing, local lymphadenopathy and pyrexia. There are cases where the infection spreads to neighbouring tissue spaces.
5. Trismus
Trismus comes as muscle spasm that stops the individual from opening their mouth. It is usually used to refer to any case where the jaw does not move as normal and usually involves temporary constraint in moving the jaw. The condition may be brought about by cancer therapy, arthritis, complications during extraction, temporomandibular joint disorder, complications due to fractures and mandibular block.
6. Post operative swelling
Dental extraction may cause minor swelling even though it is unusual except in the case of a difficult procedure or significant trauma during surgery. Excessive swelling usually points to the presence of a haematoma or an infection. Large haematomas usually go away only after being drained.
7. Cracked or broken tooth
Teeth can break from biting something too hard or dental decay. Fracturing and cracking can also occur for people who grind their teeth at night. Such cracks can extend to the root of the tooth in some cases and cause pain.
8. Tooth that is out of alignment
A misaligned tooth is reason to call the dentist for immediate assistance. You can try pushing it back with a finger before you get to the dentist; however, this is as much as you can do. You should also avoid biting down on the tooth to avoid further damage.
9. Knocked out tooth (avulsed tooth)
A permanent tooth may be knocked out completely. In such a case, the only way to restore your tooth is seeing your doctor the first chance you get. The sooner you contact your dentist, the less complicated it is to restore the missing tooth.
10. Tooth filling loss
While they may stay in good condition for a long time, tooth fillings don’t last forever, and eventually they fall of. The person usually notices these through increased sensitivity on the affected tooth. The sensitivity to hot and cold substances can cause a lot of discomfort until the problem is dealt with.
11. Dental Crown may fall out
Dental crowns hold up well but they can also fall if the tooth has excessive decay. When the decay is too much on a tooth, it causes the tooth to change in shape such that the crown no longer fits like it should. This is one of the simple procedures that can be done the same day and have your normal dental health restored.
What to do in the event of a dental emergency
In injury sustained to the mouth or any oral condition that is severe should not be ignored. In some cases, the faster you get in contact with the doctor the better your chances of salvaging your teeth. In other cases, the pain alone is usually impetus enough to look for a dentist. You need to know what to do in different scenarios, though, before you get to the dentists’.
• Knocked out tooth
Take the tooth and, holding it by the crown rinse it if it is dirty. If the tooth can be put back in place, you should try it and make sure it is facing the right direction. You should not remove any tissues from the tooth or try to scrub it. If it does not fit properly, you should not force the tooth back. Keep it in a glass of milk for preservation or put it in a glass of salty water when milk is not readily available. The most important thing is to see the dentist because knocked out teeth have a better chance of being reinsert to their sockets if they are attended to within an hour of being knocked out.
• Toothaches
The first thing to do is rinse the mouth with warm water. After that, you should remove all the food lodged between the teeth using dental floss. In case the mouth is swollen, you should put a cold compress on the cheek. Putting any type of painkiller next to the tooth is a bad idea since the painkiller may cause inflammation and compound the problem.
• Partially removed (extruded) tooth
For such a case, you should take pain killers for the pain and put a cold compress on the affected area from cheek.
• Broken or chipped teeth
Any pieces of the chipped or broken tooth should be saved if possible. Use warm water to rinse the mouth and remove any particles left in the mouth. Apply a piece of gauze if the area begins to bleed and keep it there for at least 10 minutes so that the bleeding stops. In case there is any swelling, you should apply a cold compress externally to suppress it.
• Lost filling
You can use dental cement from the nearest pharmacy as a temporary measure or use a piece of sugarless gum to cover the cavity (using sugary gum will cause pain). These are temporary methods that should hold up until you see a dentist.
• Broken wires and braces
If a wire comes loose from a bracket and is poking you on the cheek, gum, or tongue, you can use the eraser end of a pencil to move it into a comfortable position. If the wire will not reposition, you can cover it with orthodontic wax, a piece of gauze, or a small cotton ball.
Whatever you do, you should never cut the wire as you could easily swallow it or breathe it into your lungs.
• Lost crown
In this case, you should get in touch with your dentist as soon as possible and make sure to carry the crown when you go. If there is no possibility of seeing a dentist right away, you can use a cotton swab to apply olive oil on the area to alleviate the pain. You can try to slip the crown on top of the tooth as it was before applying olive oil. Before putting the crown in place,
apply over-the-counter cement, denture adhesive or toothpaste to hold the crownin place.
• Abscess
They occur in the spaces between the gums and teeth and around the root of a tooth. Abscesses are serious and can damage the surrounding teeth and tissue and also cause infection in other parts of the body if ignored. You can ease the pain of the abscess by drawing the pus in the swelling toward the surface. Rinsing the mouth with a mild salt water solution also helps.
• Particles caught between the teeth
The first step is trying to remove the object using dental floss. If the object does not come off with dental floss, you should not poke it with sharp objects or force a toothpick in. This excess pressure can cut the gums and widen spaces between gums and teeth.
• Soft tissue injuries
Soft tissues of the mouth include cheeks, tongue, gums, and lips. These areas can easily start bleeding, so you need to handle these and related emergencies with utmost care. Use the following steps to stop it;
1. Use a mild salt-water solution to rinse the mouth
2. Apply pressure to the bleeding area using gauze or a tea bag;
3. Hold it in place for about 15-20 minutes as you wait for the bleeding to stop.
4. Holding a cold compress to the part that is injured for about 10 minutes eases the pain and also stops bleeding.
If after trying the above steps, the bleeding still continues, you should see a dentist as soon as possible, keep holding the gauze in place until the dentist sees you.
Treating dental emergencies
Dental emergencies have unique ways of being treated. Dental issues very much rely on the kind of problem the individual is facing in determining what the individual needs. The dentist may give a combination of cosmetic dentistry and surgery. These may be complex or simple procedures designed to take you back to your normal state. The main procedures done for dental emergencies usually involve correcting crooked teeth using braces, retainers, and invisible aligners to get the teeth straight again.
Surgical treatments
These involve a restorative procedure that takes a short time to complete. Oral surgery is not so popular when it comes to curative options. Typically, such surgical procedures are scary to most people who have a fear of the dentist’s.Such procedures include methods like root canals, tooth extractions, gum contouring, gum tissue grafts.
How to avoid dental emergencies
While the main reason dental emergencies occur in the first place is due to unforeseen circumstances, there are a few precautionary moves you can put in place to make sure you stay safe. Oral health is hard to reclaim once extensive damage is done and the cost that comes with it makes things even more compounded. Fortunately, most of what you have to do is simple and just needs slight changes here and there.
Chewing on hard substances is the first thing to avoid when watching out for dental emergencies. This is especially important for people who have had some restorative procedure done like a root canal or bridge. Chewing on hard foods is also not advisable and you should stay away from hard candies, ice or pop corn kernels among other hard food items.
Opening bottle caps with teeth is also dangerous too. The forceful nature of opening a tight bottle cap with teeth causes abrasion which slowly cuts through the teeth. Sudden pressure on the teeth could also loosen teeth and cause weakening and eventually, falling off. One should also avoid cutting strings and such using their teeth since it also irritates and weakens them too.
Organized sports could also be a potential cause of dental emergencies and you should always remember to wear a mouth guard. Protective gear should also apply to other sports to ensure that nothing goes wrong during games.
Paying for emergency dental care
Each practice has a way in which they treat dental emergency. Calling a specialist during off duty hours will incur a higher cost. For patients with low income, the higher rate is unaffordable and thus they are forced to remain without dental care even in severe cases until they can come at regular hours.
Dentists, however, have a duty to provide patients with payment plans that accommodate everybody. Dental practices have adopted different types of payment plans and insurance covers for their patients that also make them more competitive.
Dental emergencies are not the type of thing to hide away from; however, one can take the appropriate steps to maintain their oral health. There are dental emergencies that start out as an act of neglect that can be done away with quite easily.
