Different Types of Dental Emergencies

Anyone who has ever suffered from a severe toothache knows how terrible the pain can be. It is impossible to either work, sleep, or distract yourself with anything else. Popping pain relief pills or trying home remedies like cold compresses, clove oil or salt water rinsing can at best only give you temporary and partial relief. The best course of action is to seek help from a dentist as soon as possible to find out the cause of the pain, and undergo the required treatment. While your regular dentist may not be available at all hours of the day or week, you can search online for the nearest Emergency Dental Clinic, and visit them. There are many such emergency dental clinics in North York that aim to provide immediate relief from such pain. Apart from toothaches, they are also equipped to handle other dental emergencies including injury to teeth and gums, as well as bleeding.

Let’s take a look at the various dental emergencies which you may face:

• Toothache: Pain around the teeth or jaw is usually a result of cavities, gum disease, periodontitis, exposed roots, a broken or cracked tooth, jaw joint diseases, chewing muscle spasms, etc. The dentist in the emergency clinic will examine the pained area, and take an X-ray to diagnose the problem. If the pain is a result of an infection, he or she will prescribe antibiotics and pain relief medication.
• Emergency Root Canal Treatment or RCT: When the infection in your teeth is severe and has damaged the roots of your teeth, it leads to severe toothache. A dentist would most likely do a RCT to remove the infected pulp, and replace and seal it to save the tooth from further damage.
• Emergency Extractions: Sometimes dental caries are so severe that they damage the tooth completely, making restoration impossible. In such a case, the dentist may have to extract or remove the tooth from your mouth. This prevents recurring issues as well as avoid possibly damaging neighbouring teeth. Wisdom teeth also sometimes cause pain, and get impacted when you are not able to clean them properly due to their position. In such cases, extraction may be the only solution.
• Painful Dental Abscess: Dental abscess is a collection of pus which results from accumulation of bacteria and germs in your mouth. They can cause throbbing pain and are usually caused by poor dental hygiene. Abscess may also result in swelling, difficulty in opening the mouth or even swallowing food. Emergency abscess treatment includes draining the pus, and removing infected teeth, if required. If you have a fever, your dentist will most likely prescribe paracetamol.
• Injury to teeth or gums: An accident or fall may lead to chipped or broken teeth. This is where dental crowns, veneers and dentures may come in handy. Not seeking required restorative treatment can lead to further damage of the tooth’s structure. If the damage happens to the crown, veneer or denture, it is recommended to go back to your own dentist for restoration. In case of an emergency, however, you may have to get it re-cemented at an emergency clinic where a dentist is available.
• Injury to soft tissues: This refers to an injury to facial tissues, tongue, cheek, and lips.

Some other emergencies that may be treated at emergency dental clinics include postoperative swelling, post-extraction pain and infection or dry socket, hemorrhage from the orofacial region, etc.

Facing a dental Emergency? Contact an emergency dental clinic in North York right now!