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5 Important Reasons to Seek Emergency Dental Care

5 Important Reasons to Seek Emergency Dental Care

It’s inevitable. No matter how cautious or well-organized you are, every so often we all experience an accident, injury, or trauma of some sort, which may require emergency treatment.

But the real kicker is that, when it comes to mouth injuries, it seems they always happen after hours, at night, or on weekends. In this blog, our team at EZ Dental Clinic offers you the peace of mind of knowing that we’re just not your dentist for routine or cosmetic dentistry services, but we’re also your emergency dentist, performing urgent oral care when you need us the most. 

Emergency dentistry explained

When it comes to dentistry, there are dental mishaps or inconveniences, and then there are true dental emergencies. We’re happy to provide high-quality dental care in both situations, but let’s start this conversation by discussing which scenarios constitute emergency dental care and which can be taken care of by making an appointment during regular business hours.

If you’ve ever had a temporary dental crown fall out, you know it’s definitely inconvenient. Likewise, when it comes to things like chipped veneers, broken dental appliances, or loose or lost fillings. There really isn’t a good time for these things to happen, but they really aren't emergency “drop everything and go” situations. In contrast, here are five common reasons to seek emergency dental care

1. Knocked out or broken tooth

As dentists, whenever the viability of a tooth is threatened, we swing into action to do everything we can to save your tooth. In the context of emergency dental care, one of the most common situations is a knocked-out or broken tooth. Perhaps you were in a car accident, or incurred an injury playing sports, and the impact knocked out or severely damaged the tooth.

Regardless of the scenario, contact us right away and do everything you can in transit to keep the tooth viable. Cleaning off the tooth is important, but don’t touch the tooth root. If it’s completely dislodged, but you can get it back into the tooth socket, gently do so. Keep it in place by lightly biting down on gauze or a clean tissue or cloth. If it won’t fit back into the socket, don’t force it. The goal in this case is to keep the tooth moist while in transit to the dentist’s office. You can either place the tooth in a small container of milk, or put the tooth between your cheek and gums. Be careful not to swallow it.

2. Tooth abscess

If you ever experience a throbbing, persistent toothache, you may have an abscessed tooth, which is a bacterial infection. Chances are the severe toothache alone will motivate you to get care as soon as possible. In addition to the pain, other symptoms of an abscessed tooth may include fever, sensitivity to cold or hot beverages or foods, and a swollen face or cheeks. Seek care immediately if you have any of these symptoms, as if left untreated, an infection from an abscessed tooth can spread to your neck, jaw, and head. It’s even possible for the infection to spread throughout your body. This dangerous, life-threatening condition is known as sepsis.

3. Fever, intense pain, or inflammation

Similarly, if you experience any combination of mouth pain, inflammation, or fever, even if you don’t think you have an abscessed tooth, it’s still prudent to reach out for emergency dental care. This set of symptoms is typically an indication that something is amiss in your body, and your immune symptom is attempting to fight back. Contact your emergency dentist so he can make a proper diagnosis. 

4. Mouth trauma from accidents and falls

Another major category of emergency dental care results from car accidents, sports injuries, and trips and falls. Trauma has a way of doing a number on your body, including impact injuries to your mouth, cheek, tongue, gum, teeth, or jaw. 

5. Bleeding and lacerations of the mouth or jaw

If you sustain any injury that causes cuts, bruising, lacerations, and bleeding of your jaw or mouth, come see us for an emergency dental care visit, even if you’ve managed to control the bleeding. We’ll do a full examination to make sure there isn’t any damage not evident to the naked eye.

We hope you’ll never need emergency care, but rest assured that if dental emergencies arise, EZ Dental Clinic will be there to help. Call us at 425-746-6090, or contact us online. Let us give you peace of mind when you need us the most.

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