The Importance of Emergency Dental Care

Whether it’s a knocked-out tooth or an extreme pain in your mouth, emergency dental is there to help. This type of care tends to cost a little more than a regular appointment. Contact Emergency Dental Las Vegas now!

However, knowing what to expect can help you plan ahead for this unexpected expense. The following are general costs associated with different types of emergency dental procedures:

Why is Dental Care so Important?

Toothache is an uncomfortable sensation that a number of dental problems can cause. It can range in severity from a mild irritation that can be treated with home remedies to an excruciating pain that requires immediate treatment.

A toothache may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, chills and headaches. These symptoms are indicative of an infection in or around a tooth and need to be addressed promptly. If left untreated, a serious infection can spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream.

The most common cause of a toothache is an untreated cavity that will eventually lead to the pulp chamber of the affected tooth becoming infected. This problem is an emergency and needs to be seen by a dentist right away to avoid the need for root canal therapy. Other causes of toothache include a broken or chipped tooth, which can also require emergency care depending on the extent of the damage.

Injuries to the soft tissue of the mouth or gums can also require immediate attention. These injuries can be quite painful and must be treated immediately to avoid the need for dental implants, jaw surgery or other extensive treatments. The best way to avoid a toothache is to practice proper oral hygiene and see your dentist regularly for cleanings. These appointments can catch issues such as cavities and small cracks before they become serious and cause pain.

Even though a trip to the emergency dentist isn’t at the top of anyone’s travel bucket list, it’s still important for people to understand when they need to seek urgent dental treatment. By learning more about the types of emergencies that can occur and how to treat them, people will be prepared for anything that comes their way. This will help to reduce stress and anxiety during emergencies, which can only contribute to the speed of treatment.

Millions of children and adults suffer the trauma of a knocked-out tooth each year, but this dental emergency is not without hope. The key is to take the right steps within the first 30 minutes following a knocked-out tooth to ensure the best chances of saving your natural tooth.

If you find a knocked-out tooth, carefully handle it only by the crown (the white chewing surface) and not the root. If possible, place the tooth back in its socket and hold it there. If reinsertion is not feasible, store the tooth between your gum and cheek or in a glass of cold milk. Avoid using chemical cleaning products or soap on the tooth, and do not scrub it. Knocked out teeth are most likely to survive if they are replaced within an hour of being dislodged, so call our emergency dental clinic right away.

Once at our office, we will examine the injury and determine if the nerves and blood vessels in the tooth are still alive. If they are, we will gently insert the tooth back into its socket and splint it to adjacent teeth for support. The splint will keep the tooth in place until it can naturally reattach to the bone.

If the tooth cannot be saved, we will discuss replacement options that will preserve the appearance of the smile, mitigate bone loss and stop nearby teeth from shifting into the empty space. These options include dental implants, dentures and dental bridges. Depending on the condition of surrounding teeth and the jaw, diagnostic X-rays may also be needed to provide treatment recommendations. If necessary, a root canal or a tooth extraction may also be required. These treatments will help prevent complications, including infections and abscesses. They will also protect the health of neighboring teeth.

While a chipped tooth can cause discomfort, it is not always an emergency. Most dental offices keep slots open throughout the day to treat patients with a variety of issues, including broken teeth. Fortunately, the majority of chips and minor fractures can be repaired with composite bonding or a dental crown. Serious breaks, however, can expose the inside of the tooth to bacteria and may necessitate root canal treatment or even extraction. Regardless of the severity of your broken tooth, it is best to seek emergency dental treatment as soon as possible to prevent future problems and minimize pain and discomfort.

Tooth decay, grinding or clenching your teeth, and trauma from sports, accidents, or injuries are all common causes of a cracked or broken tooth. If left untreated, these issues can damage the healthy structure of your teeth and leave them more prone to fractures.

A simple chip usually isn’t a dental emergency, especially if it occurs on the top of a front tooth or near the gum line. However, the most serious chips will often bleed or cause discomfort when chewing. In addition, the break will likely affect the inner dentin and pulp of your tooth, which may become contaminated with bacteria and cause infection.

If you experience a tooth crack or chip, you should seek immediate care from an emergency dentist. In the meantime, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers to control inflammation and apply pressure with a clean piece of gauze or cloth to control bleeding. In addition, you can cover the damaged area with sugarless chewing gum or orthodontic dental wax to reduce tooth sensitivity and minimize soft tissue irritation.

When you visit your emergency dentist, they will evaluate the extent of the damage and determine if the tooth can be saved. If the tooth is salvageable, the dentist will likely recommend a root canal treatment or dental crown to repair the inner structure of the tooth and protect it from further damage. In the event that the dentist determines that the tooth cannot be saved, they will extract it.

While prevention with good oral care is the best way to preserve your dental health, injuries can happen. And when they do, having the right first aid treatment and emergency dental services can make all the difference between saving a tooth or losing it.

The types of emergencies that require immediate attention vary from person to person, but they tend to fall into one of three categories: infections, fractures, and traumatic dental injuries. Infections of a dental origin can range from a simple cavity to an irreversible pulpitis, which is typically associated with severe pain and swelling. Inflammation of the gingival tissue overlying an erupting or partially erupted 3rd molar is another common condition that prompts patients to seek emergency dental treatment.

Fractures of the teeth or supporting bone may occur due to trauma, which can lead to pain, swelling, and loss of a tooth. These can be caused by sports injuries, car accidents, physical violence, and falling objects. If a fractured tooth or a dental restoration is not treated quickly, it can expose the underlying nerves to infection. This can result in a root canal therapy, which is a more involved procedure that requires more time to heal and is therefore a more expensive option than simply replacing the damaged restoration.

Traumatic injuries to the mouth and face are often sustained by accident or injury, such as jaw dislocations, fractured facial bones, and serious lacerations. These can be life-threatening, so it is important to visit an emergency room for these issues. However, a specialized dentist can also treat these conditions promptly.

Other traumatic dental injuries include:

  • Luxation (loose but not displaced).
  • Intrusion (into the socket from outside the mouth).
  • Avulsion (separated completely from the alveolus).

A specialized dentist can also treat these conditions promptly. This is why it is crucial to find a New York City emergency dentist that offers extended hours, especially when dealing with a dental injury. A traumatic dental injury requires a different type of care than an oral infection, and you will likely experience more complications with the latter if it is not dealt with immediately.