You certainly wish to see your teeth last a lifetime. However, some dental emergencies cause damage that’s beyond repair. Pulling the tooth remains the best option to stop bleeding, control pain, and save your oral health from deteriorating.
Besides pain and bleeding, which other signs indicate it’s time to make an emergency visit to the dental clinic? No worries, here’s a brief look at conditions that highlight the need for emergency dental care.
1. Pus formation (dental abscess)
Bacterial infection results in pus formation in the gum, at the end of the tooth root, or in the bone holding the tooth. The condition is known as a dental abscess. It can result in extreme pain for some patients. However, it’s significant to note that some individuals might not experience pain at all. Thus, if you notice pus leaking from the tooth or gums, it’s best to visit a dentist because an abscess infection does not resolve on its own. The disease can also move to other parts of the body through blood. Therefore, your dental professional may recommend a root canal or extract the infected tooth to treat the condition.
2. Swelling on one side of the face
Swelling on either side of the face can result from underlying dental issues. Common causes for such swelling are tooth abscess, pericoronitis, salivary gland tumor, cellulitis, or mumps. Patients should not ignore the condition even in the absence of pain. Your dentist will conduct a check-up and determine the reason for the swelling.
If the swelling begins at the base of a tooth, it’s highly likely due to an infected root. Your surgeon might recommend immediate dental extraction to control the spread of infection.
3. Extremely loose tooth
Besides sports injuries, a loose tooth can be due to localized infection or gum disease. Therefore, you should not ignore loose teeth even despite the absence of pain. Visit your dental office for an oral exam and x-rays. Let the professional check signs of nerve damage or infection before the condition worsens.
The treatment alternative is chosen depending on the severity of the dental condition. In case if the loose tooth has an infection in an advanced stage, your dentist may recommend an emergency extraction to save nearby bones from further damage.
4. Root-canal failure
The chances of root canal failure are significantly less as per studies. But, they do occur.
If you experience immense pain in the operated tooth or it discharges yellow pus, the possibility of a root canal failure is high. Patients may also experience swelling of gums and notice a weird smell while brushing, flossing.
Your endodontist will take digital x-rays and examine the affected tooth. Treatment options in such scenarios are root tip surgery, another root canal, or tooth extraction. Unfortunately, restoration is not an option in a severely infected root canal. However, you can opt for a dental implant at a later stage.
5. Bleeding with pain in gums
If you notice drops of blood on the floss or toothbrush, the presence of periodontal disease is highly likely. Deep pockets of bone decay start forming when the periodontal disease enters one of the advanced stages. It becomes a challenge after reaching a certain point because there are fewer chances of getting all the infected teeth back in a healthy state. You might require an emergency extraction to save your smile. Your periodontist takes the last call.
6. Dental trauma post vehicular accident
If you find your teeth severely damaged or cracked after a vehicular accident, it’s crucial to get immediate dental care. Oral surgeons extract the damaged teeth, clean the area and eliminate the possibility of infections. In addition, any abnormality in gums, teeth, or areas of mouth post-accident deserves immediate attention.
7. Unexplained toothache after delaying serious dental work
Have you been postponing crucial dental restoration work for several months? Are you experiencing tooth pain with a constant increase in severity? Perhaps, the timeframe to save the infected tooth has long gone.
A painkiller works fine if the aching is minor. But severe toothache combined with swelling in the mouth indicates the worst-case scenario in the form of gum disease or an abscessed tooth. Such patients might notice a bump near the affected tooth. Unfortunately, emergency dental extraction is the only viable option you have.
8. Metal taste and damaged restorations
Teeth grinding or a strong bite can damage old fillings. Even bridges and crowns can fail. They sometimes lead to cracks and permanent damage to your natural teeth. Patients start experiencing pain, and a metal taste in the mouth as fillings begin leaking.
Keeping your infected teeth in such a condition for long increases the severity of pain and infection. In such a case, extraction of affected teeth and replacing them with implants becomes inevitable.
Are you delaying dental extraction due to dental phobia?
Remember, the above scenarios do not necessarily require dental extraction. Your dentist takes the final decision after carefully considering all the factors.
Whether it’s a surgical extraction or a simple one, the procedure has become simple. Dentists use local anesthetics and ensure a painless experience for the patient. Advanced instruments help in quickly loosening and pulling the tooth away.
Stitches become necessary if the surgeon removes parts of the gums and surrounding bone during the surgery. Stitches facilitate quicker healing by keeping infections away post molar or premolar extractions. Most clinics schedule a special visit to remove stitches and check the operated site’s recovery.
Dentists get training to handle dental phobic individuals, including kids. So, no matter what, the patient feels relaxed while undergoing the procedure.
The endnote:
Don’t delay that extraction unnecessarily. Doing so often proves an open invitation for the infection to spread to other parts of the body. If you are searching for an emergency care dental clinic in Roswell(GA), fix an appointment at TruCare. No doubt, extraction is always the last option for dentists. So let us take care of the dental emergency with the best possible treatment options based on the oral health condition.