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5 Dental Emergencies and How to Manage Them

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Dealing with a dental emergency may be unpleasant, but it is the best way to minimize the pain you are going through and address the problem.

Tooth pain or discomfort should generally prompt you to make an appointment with your dentist. Ignoring dental problems can lead to a variety of problems, from prolonged pain and difficulties eating to heart disease. When it comes to dental trauma or infection, these emergencies don’t allow any postponing.

st. louis with a severe toothache

If you are not sure whether your pain qualifies as a dental emergency and you want to know what you can do about it, here is a list of the most common dental emergencies.

Toothaches

Whether it signals a cavity, tooth decay, gum disease or some other problem, the dreaded toothache may be a sign of trouble. It can be a very debilitating pain which radiates and pulsates. When you experience such pain, you need to see your dentist for a diagnose. However, until you get to the dentist’s office, you may consider taking an over the counter anti-inflammatory, as reducing the swelling will help ease the pain. If you are postponing your visit because you are afraid of the procedure, our St. Louis sedation dentist can make the entire process comfortable for you.

Broken or Chipped Tooth

If you get a crack in a tooth or you chip off a piece of it, chances are it is not really an emergency. The dentist can schedule you right away for a consultation, just to see what steps he will need to take next time. If you are in pain, though, he will likely act right away.

Depending on the depth of the crack or the size of the chipped piece, you can experience discomfort at tooth level, especially if the dentin is exposed. You can also hurt your tongue or cheeks in sharp edges, so try to chew on the other side to protect them as much as you can.

Swollen Face

If other conditions are more or less urgent and could wait a day or two if you’re not in great pain, a swollen face likely requires a trip to the emergency room ASAP. It is a symptom that you need to address as soon as possible, as it may indicate an infection. It could be a tooth, your gums or even your bone, and it can spread to your throat or ear.

Abscess

A tooth or gum abscess is usually annoying and painful enough to send you to the dentist the next day. Sensitivity to hot and cold food and beverages, pain on contact, starting to swell are all signs that you might need a root canal.

Bleeding from the Mouth

Any type of bleeding from your mouth is not normal, so schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as you can. In certain cases, it can indicate a chronic gum disease that needs to be addressed before your gums start receding and you lose your teeth. If your bleeding is caused by a dental procedure or an injury and it won’t stop, speak with your dentist ASAP.

Dealing with a dental emergency may be unpleasant, but it is the best way to minimize the pain you are going through and avoid improvised treatments that don’t really address the problem. Leave it to the professionals to take the best course of action and remember it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Give The Dental Anesthesia Center a call today at (314) 862-7844.

What to Do if Your Child has Chipped Their Tooth

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Children love to play, so a chipped or broken tooth is not an uncommon occurrence.

pediatric dentist St Louis

Children love to play and when they play hard it is not uncommon for them to find themselves with a chipped tooth. But as a parent, your child damaging their tooth can bring great anxiety. Depending on the severity of the chip, you may or may not have to address it. The best thing to do is contact your St. Louis pediatric dentist to make an appointment before you think the worst or overreact. If you see a chipped tooth, these are the first three steps to take to put everyone’s mind at rest – including your child’s, since they might also be anxious.

Call Your Dentist

Whether it is the result of an accident or you just happen to notice that your child has a chipped tooth, it is important to contact your dentist. If the chip is severe enough, then making an emergency appointment is necessary. If you can, try to find the chip remnants to bring with you to the appointment. If you are given specific instructions about dietary restrictions or any follow-up plan of treatment recommendations, make sure to follow them specifically. Even if it is a baby tooth, the health of that baby tooth can sometimes affect the permanent teeth growing underneath.

Apply Cold Compresses

When you notice that a tooth has been damaged, make sure to rinse out your youngster’s mouth. If there is swelling, you will also want to apply a cold compress to limit the amount of swelling. Rinsing with cold water is also a good idea to reduce any swelling in the gums. Examine the tooth to see if it is chipped or completely knocked out. The plan of action will be different depending on whether the tooth needs to be repaired or if it is completely gone. If the tooth is gone, then you will have to take precautions to limit damage to the surrounding areas.

Find the Missing Pieces

When possible, find any missing pieces from where the tooth was chipped or damaged. You will need them if the tooth needs to be reconstructed or repaired so that the replacement tooth can be properly fitted and shaped. There are a lot of ways in which a pediatric dentist can use the chipped fragment to repair or replace the tooth.

When your child either loses a tooth early due to an accident or has a chipped tooth, it can cause some anxiety. The best thing to do is to contact your pediatric dentist, find the missing pieces, and try not to overreact. In most instances, a chipped tooth is nothing but a bump in your child’s development.

Pediatric Dentist in St. Louis

Children have dental anxiety just like many adults do. It is normal for children to be leery at the dental office since it is a new environment for them. When accidents happen, such as with a chipped or broken tooth, this can only increase a child’s anxiety with going to the dentist.

At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we work hard to make your child feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere. Depending on your child’s circumstances, we will discuss if sedation or anesthesia is right for your child.

Call us today to schedule your appointment at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting you!