What is a Dental Emergency?
Dental emergencies include unbearable tooth pain or pain in the gums. Any trauma to a tooth or teeth is also a dental emergency and needs immediate treatment. If you’re experiencing uncontrolled bleeding in the mouth, or have cracked a tooth, you need to seek emergency dental treatment. Likewise, the development of a dental abscess (a visible sign of infection in a tooth or gum) constitutes a dental emergency and you should seek treatment immediately.
Elite Family Dental Care provides emergency dental treatment to patients of all ages in Nassau County from our office in Merrick, NY.
Emergency Dental Treatments
Treatment for a dental emergency will be determined by your dentist based on the circumstances, cause, and risks to your health. Common dental emergencies include:
Knocked-Out Tooth
If an adult tooth has been knocked out, pick up the tooth by the crown. Avoid touching the root of the tooth. Rinse the tooth in water. If possible, try to place the tooth gently back in the socket. If you cannot position the tooth in the socket, try to hold it in your cheek, or place it in a glass of milk and bring it with you to our office. Dr. Stanescu or Dr. Annapolen may treat the tooth with a splint, clean the socket, or perform other appropriate emergency treatment.
Soft Tissue Injury
An injury to the jaw or the soft tissues of the mouth is often sustained in conjunction with a broken or knocked-out tooth. These types of injuries often occur as the result of trauma to the face from a hard fall, vehicular or bicycle accident, or a sports injury. If you’ve sustained cuts or severe lacerations to the inside of the cheeks, or on the gums, it is important to seek emergency dental care. Treatment may range from sutures to antibiotics.
Dental Abscess
A dental abscess is a pus-filled pocket that develops as the result of a bacterial infection. An abscess needs emergency treatment, as the infection can quickly spread to other areas of the body putting your health in jeopardy. An abscess may result from gum disease, an untreated cavity, or worn-out dental restorations that have cracked or chipped. Your Elite dentist will need to drain the abscess and provide antibiotics. In some cases, you may need an emergency root canal. In the most severe cases, a dental extraction may be necessary.
