As hard as you may try to plan ahead, life is often unpredictable and accidents happen. Sometimes those accidents require emergency medical or dental care.
At Modern Age Dentistry, we know it’s important to give you the urgent dental care you need as quickly as possible. Our experienced dentist, Dr. Ali Saeghi, wants you to know the most common dental emergencies we see at our offices and the steps you can take to avoid them.
Nothing dampens a smile faster than a knocked-out tooth. Maybe you lost your tooth after a trip and fall or from a fierce tackle during football practice. Whatever the cause, you need to see us right away. If you get to us quickly, we may be able to save your tooth and restore your smile.
To preserve your tooth and the root, you need to keep the knocked-out tooth moist. Your mouth is the best place to store the loose tooth, either in the original socket or between your cheek and gum. However, if that’s not possible, put your tooth in a closed container filled with milk, your saliva, or a tooth preservation product. Be sure to rinse off any dirt (carefully) before placing it in the moist environment.
You may not be able to prevent an unexpected accident like a trip and fall, but if you play sports you can help prevent injuries that require emergency dentistry by always wearing your mouthguard during practice and games.
The shiny enamel that covers your teeth is the strongest substance in your body. It’s composed primarily of calcium and phosphate ions that create a hard crystalline covering over your tooth. What does that mean? Your teeth can endure more force than your bones, which is why they’re are able to tear through meat and pulverize a raw carrot.
Your teeth may be made up of the strongest material in your body, but they’re not indestructible. Your teeth can chip, crack, or fracture. While a fall can lead to these types of injuries, most of the time chips, cracks, and fractures occur when you bite into something too hard or use your teeth for purposes other than eating. So to avoid this type of dental emergency, don’t chew on hard substances such as ice, hard candy, or popcorn kernels and don’t use your teeth as scissors.
Severe tooth pain that makes it nearly impossible for you to eat may also lead to an emergency dental visit. You can develop a toothache from many causes, including:
Treatment for an unexpected toothache may range from a simple filling to a root canal to tooth extraction, depending on the underlying cause of your pain.
In most cases, regular visits to the dentist may prevent the conditions that lead to your toothache. At Modern Age Dentistry, we recommend dental cleanings and examinations every six months to help prevent oral health conditions that require emergency dentistry.
You can’t prevent every dental emergency, but you can take precautionary measures to protect your teeth from conditions that may require urgent dental care.
Whether you need emergency dentistry or routine care for you or anyone in your family, we can provide the expert and gentle dental care you need. Call Modern Age Dentistry at one of our California offices or book an appointment online.
