Whether you’re suffering from a broken tooth, a nasty infection or a painful toothache, dental emergencies can strike when you least expect it. Whatever the problem, you should never ignore oral symptoms—especially in the case of an infection that can quickly become a serious health risk. Here is what you should do in a dental emergency:
Step One: Identify The Issue
Identifying what the issue is the first thing you should do in a dental emergency. While some emergencies are apparent such as a chipped or broken tooth, others may not be. Infections can often go unnoticed but are often the most serious dental emergency and may potentially be life threatening. It is vital to know the signs of an oral infection, so it is not overlooked. Pain is the most obvious sign of infection and can often be accompanied by swelling, a bad taste or redness in the area.
Step Two: Call Your Dentist
If you suspect an infection, it’s important to call your dentist straight away. Here at Robina Town Dental, we have daily times set aside to deal with emergencies. If you give us a call early in the morning, we’ll have a time that day that is dedicated to seeing an emergency patient. You won’t need to find a normal spot in our appointment book, which could be several weeks away.
We can also provide a script for stronger pain relief and antibiotics without a long appointment to give you some level of relief until we can fix the problem properly.
Step Three: Manage Your Symptoms
If your dental emergency occurs outside normal business hours or on the weekend, you may need to manage your symptoms while you wait to see your dentist.
Often pain relief is a big part of getting through until you can get an appointment. Sometimes you may need to visit your medical general practitioner to get some pain relief or some antibiotics, and over-the-counter ibuprofen is a good dental pain reliever.
Also, elevating your head by sitting up reduces the blood pressure to the area and can reduce throbbing. Applying a cool pack to the area can reduce swelling, and sometimes the good old fashioned trick of putting some clove oil on the area can give you some level of relief.
Step Four: Monitor Your Condition
You need to keep a close eye on your condition while you wait to see your dentist. If your condition gets bad enough, and especially if you suspect an infection, you may need to head to the hospital where emergency doctors can administer IV antibiotics or strong pain relief.
Step Five: Prevention Is The Best Policy
Our goal is to prevent emergency treatment rather than react to it, and the best way to prevent an emergency is to practise good oral hygiene and see your dentist regularly. Often people who suffer from a dental emergency have teeth that are in such a weakened state that it doesn't take too much to push things over the edge.
Got a dental emergency? We have time set aside for such cases every day, so contact us to book an appointment.