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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.

5 Common Reasons Your Child’s Gums Are Bleeding

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If your child’s gums are bleeding, it is not the end of the world, but it is an issue that requires your attention.

A parent never wants to see their child bleeding. You may be afraid at first, but then compose yourself, diagnose the issue, and solve it. What makes gum bleeding so frustrating is that it is hard to decipher why it is happening. If a child falls off their bike and skins their knee, the cause and treatment are obvious. However, with bleeding gums, this is not the case. If your child experiences bleeding gums for an extended period, it is best to visit a St. Louis pediatric dentist. If they have just begun to bleed, you can try to solve it by understanding the common causes.

New Toothbrush

Some toothbrushes have very firm bristles, especially when they are new. If your child has been using a worked in, soft bristle brush for a few months and then switches to hard bristles, it could cause bleeding. You can avoid this by inspecting the new toothbrush carefully. Make sure it comes with soft bristles, rather than hard ones that need to be used to soften. (Read more: Tips on Buying a Toothbrush for Your Child)

Flossing

If your child has not been flossing regularly and then starts to floss, there is bound to be some bleeding. Don’t let this scare you! When your child doesn’t floss for an extended period, their gums become sensitive and inflamed. When they do start to floss, the gums may bleed a little bit. This is entirely normal and is merely a part of the process of strengthening gums. If you see bleeding, have your child floss every other day for a couple of weeks. After that, they can move on to daily flossing.

Too Much Pressure

Sometimes a child gets carried away with their dental routine and applies too much pressure when brushing or flossing. If you suspect this, watch your child go through their dental routine. If you notice that they are being too aggressive, tell them to lighten the pressure.

Medication

If your child has just started taking a new medication, that could be the culprit. Certain medicines tend to sensitize gums, so be careful in administering them. The most common case is when a medication dries a child’s mouth out significantly. Dry mouths are more likely to bleed.

Gum Disease

The worst case scenario is your child having legitimate gum disease. The cause for this is usually poor oral health. Your child is likely not brushing and flossing enough, and the result is a buildup of plaque. That plaque buildup leads to gum disease, which causes bleeding. If you think this might be the case, you will want to see a pediatric dentist for advice.

If your child’s gums are bleeding, it is not the end of the world, but it is an issue that requires your attention. Your first step should be reviewing the simplest common causes and seeing if you can work the issue out yourself. If the problem ends up being more complicated, you can always give The Dental Anesthesia Center a call at (314) 862-7844 to schedule an appointment.

3 Types of Periodontal Diseases

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Periodontitis shows very few signs in the early stages so many people do not realize that they have a problem.

gum disease st louis dentist

Periodontal diseases do not affect only adults, they can also be found in adolescents and children. Periodontitis, or gum disease, is a group of inflammatory and infectious diseases which affect the tissues around the teeth. It is caused by microorganisms which settle down on the tooth’s surface and the destructive immune response to combat them. The disease can be diagnosed by inspecting the soft gum tissues surrounding the teeth and evaluating the X-ray film of the teeth.

Research shows that younger people tend to develop severe types of gingivitis. Children and adolescents with immune deficiencies and type 1 diabetes are more susceptible to the disease.

1. Chronic Gingivitis

Gingivitis is a type of periodontal disease. If it is not treated in time it can develop into periodontitis. If an adolescent complains about bleeding, redness or swelling of the gums the parents can presume that he is suffering from chronic gingivitis. They should consult a St. Louis pediatric dentist immediately.

2. Aggressive and/or Chronic Periodontitis

Earlier it was known as adult periodontitis. Now the word adult has been replaced by chronic because the disease can occur in the early teenage years and keep growing throughout the person’s teens. Chronic and aggressive periodontitis affects the incisors and the first molars. Its most important characteristic is bone loss. It is interesting to note that minimal dental plaque can be seen when the teeth of a patient suffering from this disease are examined.

3. Generalized Aggressive and Chronic Periodontal Disease

The characteristics of this type of periodontal disease are quite similar to the chronic and aggressive type. But this is a more severe form of the disease and affects the whole mouth. Inflamed gums, major calculus and plaque accumulation are some of the symptoms of the disease.

When a person is affected by a severe form of the periodontal disease, his gum structure may undergo a change. The gums may become weak and the teeth may become loose. Sometimes they may even fall out.

Preventive Measures

Prevention is key and treatment can be successful if the disease is diagnosed in the early stages. So the St. Louis pediatric dentist must thoroughly examine the adolescent’s teeth twice a year.

Innumerable bacteria are present in the mouth. Some of them are essential for the digestion of food. If the bacteria settle down in the cavities or the open gum pockets they can cause diseases. Proper oral hygiene is important for a healthy mouth which is free from painful diseases.

A person should brush his teeth at least twice every day. He should direct the bristles of the toothbrush underneath the gum line. This will prevent the formation of subgingival plaque.

In addition, regular flossing and using an antiseptic mouthwash are important.

Periodontitis shows very few signs in the early stages so many people do not realize that they have a periodontal disease. By the time they visit the dentist the disease is already in an advanced stage. So, timely diagnosis and treatment is important.

Schedule Your Visit

Your child’s initial oral examination will include a visual examination, charting, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. 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 you appointment at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting you!