The field of dentistry has one of the lowest fatality rates from dental emergencies. Only about 0.9% of dental patients die from dental-related conditions.
One reason for this is that dentists are so skilled at handling dental emergencies. What is an emergency that requires you to schedule a dental appointment ASAP? We will tell you about five of them next.
You Lose an Adult Tooth
Losing a tooth is never fun. It can happen due to sports injuries, car accidents, and slip and fall accidents. But when you or your child knocks out a permanent tooth, you may have a dental emergency.
If you find your tooth after losing it, see a dentist who specializes in emergency care ASAP. He or she may be able to restore it. If not, you must pay for an implant, which can be expensive.
You Lose a Blood Clot After Tooth Extraction
The formation of a blood clot is crucial for healing after tooth extraction. If yours falls out within 23 days post-extraction, you need to call your dentist and schedule a dental visit immediately.
Without your blood clot, you risk developing a condition called dry socket. A dry socket is painful and will delay the healing process and potentially cause complications like infections.
You Have Dental Abscess Symptoms
A dental abscess is a pocket of pus that forms on the gums. It is a symptom of an underlying infection. Dental abscesses commonly affect impacted wisdom teeth, teeth with untreated cavities, and people with gum disease.
If you experience the symptoms of a dental abscess, you need to see a dentist before the infection spreads. Symptoms may include a severe toothache, a bad taste or smell in your mouth that doesn’t go away, or a swollen jaw.
Tooth pain is never a good sign, especially if it is sharp or features other negative symptoms. But it is not always an emergency. However, severe tooth pain after a root canal is a serious dental emergency you should never ignore.
Pain after a root canal often indicates that the wound is not healing properly. Without treatment, an infection could develop. Other signs of a root canal gone wrong are significant bleeding and swelling around the site.
You Experience a Locked Jaw
Sometimes, the jaw can become locked in place, making it difficult to open or close. You may not think of this as a dental emergency. But if the cause is your temporomandibular joint, this is within a dentist’s purview.
Your emergency dentist can give you medication to help with the discomfort in the meantime. Then, they can come up with a longer-term solution to alleviate your symptoms.
Schedule a Dental Appointment ASAP If These Emergencies Happen to You
Lost adult teeth, dental abscesses, and locked jaws are only a few reasons to schedule an emergency dental appointment. If you experience a severe or unexplained dental symptom, it is a sign you need emergency dental care.
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