Helping You Get a Better Understanding of Emergency Dentist Services

Posted on: 23 February 2021

When dentists offer emergency dental services, it means that their clinics are equipped with the tools, pieces of equipment, staff and facilities to handle and treat emergency dental cases. This also includes the know-how, skills and experience required. Here are examples of dental emergency cases and services.

Dental Cases That Need Immediate Treatment

Examples of these cases are if you are involved in an automotive accident and suffer a mouth injury, suffer a mouth injury during an impact sport or experience a random accident that does not involve any automotive.

The result might be a torn lip, a loss of teeth, teeth chipping and cracking, jawbone fracturing, jawbone shuttering or a tongue injury, a gum injury, severe pain, severe swelling, severe bleeding, etc. These injuries need immediate treatment.

Most dental clinics that offer emergency dental care for such injuries are usually larger to accommodate all the resources needed to offer you the unique treatment you need. You may even find that dental surgeons may work together with plastic and orthopaedic surgeons.

Dental Cases That Are Minor But That Might Worsen If You Delay Treatment

These are dental conditions that might lead to loss of teeth or severe gum infection if they are not treated during the early stages. Examples of these problems may include gingivitis and tooth decay.

Gingivitis occurs when plaque (yellowish substance) starts forming at the base of your teeth. If it is not removed early by a dentist, it can accumulate, leading to the formation of tartar (black substance). Plaque and tartar widen the space between your gums and teeth, creating room for bacteria to thrive. A mixture of bacteria and toxins penetrate your jawbone and start eating away at it. You may even notice a change in the way your teeth look, foul breath and pain. At this stage, the dentist may inform you that you are suffering from periodontal disease. Your teeth may have also started dropping off one by one.

Tooth decay causes holes in your teeth that are easily treatable during the first stages. If you delay treatment, the hole gets deeper and reaches the pulp cavity. At this point, you will be in pain and discomfort. A procedure known as a root canal is required to treat deeper holes. If you still delay treatment, your gum may get severely infected, and the structure of your tooth might become compromised. The only solution might be tooth extraction, and depending on the extent of tooth damage, minor surgery may be required.

To learn more, contact an emergency dentist.

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