If something happens that negatively impacts your oral or dental health and the issue cannot or should not be put off until tomorrow, you may be having a dental emergency. However, it is sometimes difficult to figure out if your issue is really an emergency, or if you would be okay waiting it out. So, in today’s blog, your Mansfield, TX, dentist will discuss what qualifies as needing emergency dentistry, and how we handle these cases in our office.
How Do I Know?
If, as an adult, your tooth suddenly falls out or gets knocked out as a result of falling and hitting your mouth, you probably know that you should call your dentist as soon as possible. However, you also likely know that you should call your dentist any time that you are experiencing dental discomfort, so how do you know if it qualifies as an emergency? While some issues are more obvious, there are many issues that could be considered a dental emergency, including:
- Your “adult,” permanent tooth falling out or feeling extremely loose
- Your tooth breaking
- Your tooth chipping or cracking, especially if it also becomes discolored or is painful
- Experiencing a severe toothache, or one that won’t go away
It is always a good idea to talk with your dentist if anything in your mouth seems off, but if you are having severe or persistent pain, you lose a tooth, or if you suffer any kind of physical trauma to your mouth which causes any sort of issue with your teeth, you should call Mansfield Dental Associates to schedule an emergency visit immediately.
What Happens When You Call
When you call our office and alert our staff of your emergency needs, our friendly staff will calmly advise you of the next steps you can take to manage your issue before coming into our office for your appointment. For example, if you are bleeding, we will advise you to attempt to stop the bleeding as soon as possible, applying pressure and gauze to the affected area. Additionally, if any part of your tooth has left your mouth as a result of trauma, you should keep it submerged in a container of salt water or milk and bring it with you to your appointment to see if we can restore your natural tooth. In the case of pain or a toothache, an ice pack on your face to numb the area or over the counter pain medicine can help to keep the pain under control until we can see you. Once you are in our office, we will assess the situation and get to work on either restoring your damaged teeth or addressing the cause of your trauma-unrelated pain, which could be due to tooth decay or even gingivitis. From there, we will work to create the best treatment plan for you to get you feeling better as soon as possible.
Don’t Wait- Call Us!
When you experience dental pain or trauma, you should call your dentist right away. If you would like to schedule a consultation, call Mansfield Dental Associates in Mansfield, TX, at 817-473-6227.
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