Is a Tooth Infection a Dental Emergency?

A tooth infection, also known as a dental abscess, is a condition that can cause significant discomfort and potential health risks if left unaddressed. However, not all tooth infections necessitate immediate emergency attention. This brief read aims to discuss the signs of a tooth infection and determine whether it’s an emergency that calls for immediate dental care.

How to Recognize a Tooth Infection

A tooth infection usually develops when bacteria invade the innermost section of the tooth referred to as the pulp. This can result from cracked teeth, untreated cavities, or gum disease. Some of the common symptoms of a tooth infection include:

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What’s The Most Common Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies come in different forms. A missing or broken tooth, gum disease, and tooth decay are some of the most common dental emergencies. It is true that the best way to prevent dental issues is through proper dental care.

However, having a clear idea of how to handle dental emergencies can go a long way towards safeguarding your dental health and preventing long-term damage, when the worst happens.

With that in mind, continue reading below to find out more about the most common dental emergencies.

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What Is A Dental Emergency and What Should You Do About It?

Dental emergencies are common and it’s essential to know what to do when one happens to you.

This includes taking the time to understand what constitutes a dental emergency and what to look out for. Here is a detailed breakdown of what a dental emergency entails and what you should do as soon as you are in such a situation.

What Is A Dental Emergency?

A dental emergency is any dental condition requiring immediate professional assistance to avoid further pain, discomfort, and damage to the teeth.

Examples of this can include:

Toothaches
Broken Teeth/Knocked Out Teeth
Swollen Jaw
Bleeding Gums
Missing Filling
Exposed Nerve

Anything surrounding these conditions should be addressed as soon as possible by a qualified dentist. They will know what to do to regulate the pain and make sure the teeth are in the condition they need to be.

How To Deal With A Dental Emergency

1. Book An Appointment With The Dentist Right Away

The first thing you are going to want to do is to book an appointment with a dentist. Some dentists work around the clock and/or are willing to book emergency appointments. They will prioritize you due to the nature of the condition you’re in.

This is ideal since you are going to want treatment as soon as you can get it.

2. Rinse The Mouth

You are also going to want to focus on controlling the bleeding if that is a concern. This can be done by rinsing the mouth with water. Just make sure to rinse gently and allow the water to dribble out as that is going to make sure you don’t aggravate the situation.

3. Use Gauze To Control Bleeding

If the bleeding is getting worse, it’s essential to use gauze to help control it. This is essential as that is one of the best ways to control how much you are bleeding. Pressing against it is going to help, but also placing it near the opening of the mouth is useful too.

Final Thoughts

These are the most important things a person should do when dealing with a dental emergency. The onset of pain can be sudden and you are going to want to numb it as best as you can until a dentist gets to see what’s going on.

By following the steps listed here, you will be able to take control of the situation before the dentist sees what’s going on.

Emergency Cracked Tooth Repair in Rochester, NY

When A Cracked Tooth Is A Dental Emergency

If you are suffering from a cracked or chipped tooth you are probably wondering if you should contact a dentist right away or just wait it out til you can get an appointment. Below are the things that you should consider in making this decision.

One sign that you should seek emergency dental services is if you are experiencing a lot of pain. One reason is that there really is no reason to suffer when there are options available to you. Additionally, if you are in pain there may be a larger, underlying issue that needs immediate attention. Finally, as you know, if anything in your mouth hurts it will be nearly impossible to eat, drink or sleep until the problem is fixed.

Another reason that you should seek emergency services for a cracked tooth is that you may cause more damage than already exists before you can be seen by your regular dentist. A cracked tooth leaves the inside of your tooth open to the risk of becoming infected by food and germs that can enter. This is a space that you can not clean, so if you wait to long you could even end up with a cavity as well. In short, by not having this looked at immediately you may end up with much bigger problems than what you originally started with, and possibly a much larger bill in the end.

From what you’ve read above, it is really always best to seek out emergency dental services when you have a tooth that has become compromised due to an injury. Putting it off until later will leave you dealing with unnecessary pain and possibly worse issue. If you have a cracked tooth you should give us a call right away.

Do You Need An Emergency Root Canal?

What Are The Signs That It Is Time For An Emergency Root Canal?

Knowing that your dentist has you covered for dental emergencies is very important. However, many patients are not sure when it is time for an emergency dental visit.

While root canals are common procedures the timing of the treatment matters to avoid the loss of a tooth or major dental work.

Here are some signs that it time for an emergency root canal.

What Is A Root Canal?

Teeth are made up of the hard exterior portion of the tooth that we see when we smile as well as the soft tissue within. When teeth become diseased and an infection sets in, that soft tissue is affected. It may become inflamed as it fights the infection, causing great pain. If the infection persists long enough, that soft tissue as well as the underlying bone tissue may die and decay which can lead to the loss of the tooth.

During a root canal procedure, the dentist removes the affected pulp within the tooth. The area is then cleaned and the pulp canal is sealed. This procedure is performed more than 15 million times each year in the United States.

Signs That An Emergency Root Canal Is Necessary

When a tooth is infected, there is increased sensitivity to temperatures, both hot and cold. As the infection worsens and moves to the bone, the area surrounding the tooth often becomes tender to the touch. Chewing food may trigger episodic pain. When left untreated, swelling may occur in the face as well as within the oral region.

If you experience these symptoms, you should call for a regular dental appointment as soon as possible. However, when the pain does not subside and continually increases while facial swelling does not subside, it is time to call for emergency dental care.

Is The Root Canal Done Right Away?

In some cases, an emergency root canal may be done immediately. However, depending upon the extent of the infection, the pain may be managed, the infection treated, and the root canal scheduled for a later date. The dentist will make the determination after an examination.

The best course of action is to act before your mouth begins to hurt. The chances of keeping your tooth are better the earlier treatment is sought. However, when a severe toothache occurs, it is best to come in as soon as possible to take care of the problem.

The good news is that we do emergency root canal treatment in Rochester, NY and are available 24/7.

Abscessed Teeth Are Serious Dental Emergencies

There is no question that not only is an abscessed tooth painful, but it can also be extremely hazardous to one’s overall health.

An abscessed tooth refers to a tooth that has an infection either inside or around it. That abscess can lead to a wide variety of other health issues.

While some people may want to discount an abscessed tooth as “just another dental issue,” the truth is that it’s much more serious than that! Some of the signs include extreme pain, bad breath, and swelling of the gums. These are bad enough, but an abscessed tooth goes well beyond that.

There are more and more reports coming out that abscessed teeth are leading to additional infections. These infections can lead to headaches, migraines, fevers, and in some extreme cases even death.

This is why an abscessed tooth is a dental emergency. Aside from the extreme pain, that infection can lead to brain damage and death, or heart attack and death. The gums are a sensitive area in the mouth, which means the infection can easily spread to parts of the body with fatal results.

Don’t take the appearance of an abscessed tooth lightly. Even if a dentist can’t get you in for immediate tooth work or removal, if needed, they do have the ability to prescribe both painkillers and antibiotics to help fight and corral the infection.

This is critical. When you see serious swelling in the gums and jaw, those are very dangerous signs that the infection is spreading beyond the abscessed tooth. You need high quality dental care fast and you need to treat any signs of an abscessed tooth as an emergency dental procedure.

More than any other dental issue, a dental abscess can cause serious health ramifications. Don’t treat them lightly!

If you suspect you have an abscess call a dentist in Rochester, NY immediately!

3 Steps To Take If You Have A Dental Emergency

If you’re having a dental emergency it is very important for you to follow the three steps to make sure you pain goes away fast.

Step One: Get The Pain To Stop

You might not have access to our services straight away, but that you can do something to produce the anguish stop. Try some non-prescription pain medications, after which use clove oil about the area. That, or try one of the numbing agents which can be sold at the store. Know that this will likely only help just a little, and having the emergency taken care of quickly enables that you can be out of pain as quickly as possible.

2. Give Our Rochester, NY Dental Office A Phone Call

You have to let us know that you’re seeking to get aid in your emergency when you can so that you can to go into to find out our professionals. The key is never to be concerned about what time that it is and try to use our contact information to gain access to touch with someone or at a minimum leave a note. We understand exactly how much dental pain hurts, and so we are going to be able to get you into get help quickly. Remember, the more you wait the worse the trouble probably will get.

3. Follow Instructions Both Before And After Your Appointment

When you call us to setup an appointment just ask about what to do to relieve your pain. We will tell you what you could take and how long you should probably avoid things before going into get the help of us. Make certain that after your procedure, you follow the guidelines we provide on whatever you can eat and whether or not you can do such things as smoke. As an illustration, should you get a tooth pulled and smoke immediately afterwards you can find a dry socket which is painful and result in the healing taking an extended period.

Following the 3 steps outlined above should help you avoid any unnecessary suffering.