What Is a Dental Emergency?

Even if you take good care of your mouth, accidents can happen. It can happen at the grocery store or when your kid is at soccer practice. Not only is it annoying to have a dental emergency, but it can also be very painful and put your oral health at risk. It’s important to know how to get emergency dental care if you or a family member has a problem with their teeth. This will help you and your family get better quickly and avoid future problems.

At Dr. Motiwala Dental Clinic & Implant Centre, our experienced dental team is ready to help you get the quality emergency dental care you need to make your smile healthy and comfortable again. Here’s what you need to know to get the help you need if you hurt your mouth or have a dental emergency.

What Is a Dental Emergency?

Even though all oral health problems can be painful, not all of them are called emergencies. A dental emergency is a problem that needs to be fixed right away by a professional. This includes any problem with your teeth, gums, or mouth cavities that can’t be fixed at home and needs help from a dental team.

Here are some examples of dental emergencies:

• Loose teeth
• Teeth that are broken or chipped and cause a lot of pain
• Severe tooth decay
• Teeth knocked out
• Lost filling or crown
• Pain and blood that can’t be stopped
• Broken orthodontics appliances (brackets and/or wires from braces)
• Infections (abscess)
• Infection of gums 

If you have any of these tooth problems, please call our office right away. Our dentists will help you figure out how to deal with your pain and give you a treatment plan so you can get better as soon as possible.

What Isn’t Considered a Dental Emergency?

Along with knowing what kinds of oral health problems need emergency dental care, it’s also good to know what kinds of problems aren’t emergencies. Asking yourself if you can wait to see a dentist is a simple way to figure out if your problem is an emergency. If you say “yes,” then it’s probably not an emergency. Some examples of teeth problems that are not emergencies are:

• Chipped tooth with no pain
• Minor toothache
• Loose or missing filling
• Veneer that has fallen off
• Suspected cavity

Even if you don’t need help right away with your tooth problem, you should still make an appointment with your dentist. Dental problems won’t go away on their own, so it’s important to get help from a professional as soon as possible to keep small problems from getting worse over time.

What Causes Dental Emergencies?

Dental emergencies can happen for a number of reasons, such as:

• Poor oral care habits
• Food getting caught between teeth
• Mouth injuries or head trauma (being hit or kicked in the mouth)

No matter what caused your tooth problem, you should call the dentist right away if you think it needs urgent care. The dentist can tell you what to do next to stop more damage or pain.

What Not to Do in a Dental Emergency ?

Even though it might be tempting to try to fix a major dental problem at home before going to the dentist, you should never do this. It could make things worse if you did that. Keeping this in mind, make sure to:

• Abscesses cause sores or boils to pop on your gums. Instead, go to the dentist as soon as possible to have it drained.
• If a tooth has been knocked out, you can pick it up by the root. Carefully grab it by the top, wash it, and then try to put it back where it belongs. If this doesn’t work, wrap the tooth in gauze, soak it in milk to keep it from drying out, and go to the doctor right away.
• Putting crushed medicines on the tooth, like aspirin. This could hurt the enamel on your teeth or your gums.

How Can I Manage the Pain of a Dental Emergency?

If your oral health problem is causing you pain or discomfort, you can take steps to ease the pain until you can see a dentist. To control pain, you can:

• Hold a cold towel against the side of your face where the broken tooth or mouth injury is.
• Use warm salt water or an antibiotic rinse to keep from getting sick.
• Take painkillers you can buy over the counter.
• Don’t eat anything hard or chewy until the pain goes away or the problem is fixed.

Do I Need an Appointment for a Dental Emergency?

The first thing you should do if you have a dental emergency is to call our office. We’ll help you deal with your pain and take care of your hurt, and we’ll also:

• Get ready for your visit and for any emergency plans
• Help you set up any follow-up meetings you need

How to Avoid a Dental Emergency in the Future

No one plans to have a dental emergency, but the good news is that many can be prevented. Here are some easy things you can do to keep your mouth healthy and lower your chances of having a dental problem in the future:

• Brush your teeth twice a day
• Floss and use mouthwash daily
• Visit your dentist twice a year for routine dental exams and professional cleanings
• Wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports
• Be careful when eating hard or chew foods, such as candy
• Avoid biting down on inedible objects, such as pencils or fingernails

We Can Handle Your Dental Emergency

When a kid has a dental emergency, it can be scary. The best way to keep a small tooth problem from getting worse is to act quickly and see a dentist. We are here to provide excellent emergency dental care. Please call us if you’re not sure if your mouth health problem is an emergency. We can tell you if you need to go to an emergency dental clinic or if it would be better to make a normal appointment soon.

Dr. Motiwala in International Press

Dr. Motiwala is a world-renowned dentist who has cared for thousands of patients from every corner of the globe. He has been featured on several news outlets; to read about it, select the network’s logo below.

Time to Get in Touch With Us!!

For more information about the Smile Makeover in India, get in touch with Dr. Motiwala’s Dental Clinic & Implant Center at +91 99596 14584. Simply fill out the form on our CONTACT US page.