Accidents happen and these circumstances are inevitable. It is always best to know what to do during these times as this may mean saving of your teeth. Napa Valley Dental Group is always equipped and ready to handle dental emergencies when they happen. We have the best and highly trained team to address the immediate and emergency dental needs of our patients.
Dental emergency is used to describe a situation involving teeth and surrounding tissues that is considered of high importance to be treated by an expert or professional. Dental emergencies do not necessarily involve pain, although this could be a sign that something needs immediate attention. Various emergencies exist and each of them requires individual and unique treatment depending on the extent of the problem.
How a patient defines dental emergency also vary on how soon he or she needs to get the treatment done, as there are some who do not have the sense of urgency to get the treatment they need or sometimes delay it for a couple of reasons.
The following situations are some of those that are considered as dental emergencies:
- Toothache - The first thing you can do is to rinse your mouth with warm water and use dental floss to remove stuck food between your teeth if there is any. Do not use aspirin or any painkiller against the gum because it might just burn the gum tissue. Then see a dentist as soon as possible.
- Extruded or partially dislodged tooth - You have to see a dentist right sway. Temporarily, what you can do is apply a cold compress outside the mouth or cheek in the affected area to relieve the pain. You can also take a pain reliever if needed.
- Objects caught between teeth - use a dental floss to carefully remove the object but if you cannot take it out, it is better to see a dentist. Never use a pin or other sharp object to poke at the stuck object. These instruments can cut your gums or scratch your tooth surface.
- Chipped tooth - a chipped, knocked out or broken tooth is one of the most common dental emergencies. There are already a lot of available solutions today, but these are not all about cosmetic problems, they are also considered as oral health risks.To prevent this from happening, it is highly recommended to wear athletic mouth guard when playing contact sports. It is always possible to trip and fall so dentist also suggest the use of mouth guards even for solo athletic activities.
- Severe cavity - Root canal is normally needed if you suffer from a severe tooth decay. Many root canals result from untreated tooth decay, and if it is not treated by a dentist, it will infect the inner tooth pulp. To avoid getting to a serious condition such as this one, make sure that you brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and make regular visits to your dentist for checkups and teeth cleanings.
- Broken Jaw - broken jaw is considered a very serious dental emergency. It involves hairline fractures to the healthy bone tissue and cause the patient to feel mild to moderate pain. Severe case of broken jaw lead to major swelling and bruising. This also prevents patients from closing their mouths properly. It is difficult to avoid this type of emergency as this is normally a result of major or unexpected trauma.
- Broken braces and wires - If the wire of your braces break of if it sticks out of a bracket or band, you can try using the end eraser of a pencil to push the wire into a more comfortable position. If you can't reposition the wire, cover the end with orthodontic wax, a small cotton ball, or piece of gauze until you can get to your orthodontist's office.
- Lost filling - As a temporary solution, you can stick a piece of sugarless gum into the cavity or use an over the counter dental cement then see a dentist as soon as possible.
- Lost crown - In this situation, you have to see a dentist right away and bring the crown with you. If possible, slip the crown back into the tooth but this is causing you pain and you cannot go to the dentist right away, you can use a cotton swab and apply a little clove oil to the sensitive area.
Contact Napa Valley Dental Group for best emergency dentistry in Napa CA. Conveniently located off St. Helena Hwy and Lincoln Ave, 2119 Jefferson Street Napa, CA 94559
