5 Signs That You Need to Visit Your Dentist Immediately
No one ever thinks that they would need to visit a dentist with urgency. Many people do not credit dental experts enough for the kind of work they do. The reality, however, is that most of the patients that seek dental services do so at the sight of oral emergencies.
Dental emergencies do not always happen immediately. Usually, it is the seemingly small oral issues that escalate and progress into severe dental issues that can only be handled in urgent dental care facilities.
What Are Dental Emergencies?
They are oral problems that are so severe and alarming that they require immediate medical attention. Many dental emergencies are in their progressed form so that they put the rest of your oral health, and even your body health, at a high risk of infection.
When you have an oral emergency in your hands, the best you can do is perform first aid to alleviate the symptoms you are experiencing. However, an oral emergency cannot be downplayed or overlooked. You must involve a dental expert in your treatment, lest you sabotage the health of your entire oral cavity. The greatest risk there is in such situations is that of spreading the possible infection to other parts of your mouth, as well as allowing the problem to progress and advance into a complex and rather threatening oral problem.
Types of Dental Emergencies
There is no one particular dental problem that features an oral emergency. If anything, any number of oral problems can become oral emergencies, based on how severe they are and the kind of effects they pose in your oral cavity. Emergencies come in different forms and sizes, including the following:
- Allergic reactions – usually food allergies
- Broken or cracked features in your mouth – they can be teeth or even a fracture in your jawbone.
- Toothaches
- Jaw lock – usually due to temporomandibular joint disorders
- Periodontitis – is an advanced stage of gum disease.
- Missing teeth and oral appliances – whether you lose your tooth or lose your braces, it features as a dental emergency.
5 Signs to Look Out for In Dental Emergency
It is not always that you will have a gut feeling about your oral health being a dental emergency. However, even before visiting an emergency dental care facility, you can identify an oral emergency by considering the following common signs:
- Pain in your mouth – pain in any area of your body, is designed to communicate to you that something is problematic. If you have pain in any area of your mouth, be attentive to understand why it is the case. Sometimes the pain is an indication of a broken jawbone, an infection in your gums, or even a diseased tooth causing a toothache. Be especially keen to notice if the pain increases by the minute and how severe it gets.
- Prolonged bleeding – the mouth is built in such a way that it can control bleeding that happens thereof. If you continue to notice blood in your mouth over the course of your day, then you may have an oral emergency to attend to. In emergency dentistry, bleeding is common. It can be noticed at an open wound, from your gums, or a damaged tooth. If, for example, you accidentally bite your tongue and you cannot control the bleeding, you must call your dentist in Winter Haven as soon as possible.
- Significant swelling – you are likely to notice the swelling on your face. However, if you check in your mouth, you will also spot the area causing the swelling. Swelling can make it difficult for you to move your mouth and even be accompanied by significant pain.
- Missing tooth – if you are involved in an accident, and you realize you have a missing tooth, get to an emergency dental clinic immediately. It helps if you can find the knocked-out tooth and preserve it since the dentist can restore it.
- Accompanying health issues – include headaches, neck pain, dizziness, fatigue, and an inability to properly use your mouth. Any of these signs is an indicator that your dental problem is very severe that it is affecting the overall functioning of your body.