If you’ve ever had an accident—no matter what kind—there’s the first reaction of shock, then you have to snap into action to address the problem. This is no different when you experience a dental accident. However, there are many patients who may stay in that moment of shock for too long, not realizing that they are wasting vital time that could be used to save their smile.
To help patients stay prepared for all situations, your dentist in Longview has put together this quick blog post to help address dental emergencies properly.
Step #1: Identify Your Dental Emergency
You might not understand what constitutes a dental emergency if you’ve never experienced one before. A rule of thumb to remember is this: anytime that you experience pain, trauma, or damage to the mouth, teeth, and/or soft tissues, you have a dental emergency on your hands. Not every single emergency is critical, though. There are some that are more urgent than others.
Here is a list of accidents that you should not wait for help with. Instead, contact your local emergency dentist in Longview right away:
- Consistent bleeding, even when pressure has been applied to the affected area.
- A knocked out or lost tooth.
- Extensive dental damage to dental work or restorations.
- A painful toothache that won’t quit.
Any other problems that occur to the mouth, teeth, and/or soft tissues may be considered less urgent. Instead, you can simply call your dentist for advice over the phone and schedule an appointment to come in.
Step #2: Address Your Dental Emergency While You Travel to the Office
If you are experiencing an urgent dental emergency, you need to get to your local dental practice as quickly and safely as possible. In the meantime, you should be caring for the affected area appropriately. Here are some helpful tips:
- If you’ve cracked a tooth, gather all the pieces of the tooth and store it in a container of milk while you travel to the office.
- If you have a knocked-out tooth, be sure to recover it, rinse it, and try to fit it into the socket. However, if it does not fit, be sure to store it in a container of milk while you travel to the office.
- If you experience a bad toothache, apply a compress to relieve swelling while you travel visit the nearest dental office.
Step #3: Rely on Your Local Emergency Dentist for Assistance.
This part may seem difficult, but you must trust that your local dentist will do everything in their power to repair your smile in a timely fashion.
Even when you’re tempted to turn to an emergency room, often times they still may refer you to a dental office. Why? Usually dentists aren’t in the ER! That means to get the specialized care that your smile really needs, you need to turn to a professional that is an expert in the inner and outer workings of your mouth.
It’s best to always stay prepared for dental emergencies, so your dentist invites you to add your practice’s phone number into your contacts. Help is only a quick phone call away!
About Our Office
Here at Vaca & Kirby Dental, we want to help our patients in their time of need. Our team acts swiftly, schedules same-day visits, and provides long-term solutions to your problems. Call us today if you need assistance!
