Learning About The World Of Dentistry

Routine dental care is often scheduled months in advance. In normal circumstances, waiting a few days or weeks for an appointment is no big deal. However, emergency dental treatment must be accessible without long waits. If you experience a toothache or notice that something in your mouth isn't right, you should call your dentist to ask for an emergency appointment. These three dental emergencies are best treated with prompt care:

1. Painful Or Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Growing wisdom teeth is a natural part of maturing. Many people notice that their wisdom teeth begin to emerge during late adolescence, but some people may not have their wisdom teeth emerge until they're in their 20s. It's common for people's mouths to be too small to accommodate their wisdom teeth. When this occurs, your wisdom teeth may crowd the surrounding teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth often cause pain, infections, and tooth damage.

A dentist can ease your wisdom teeth woes by extracting them. Dentists can even extract wisdom teeth that have not yet emerged from your gumline. Your mouth may feel tender for a couple of weeks following your wisdom teeth extraction, but any severe pain caused by wisdom tooth impaction should soon disappear.

2. Tooth Loss

Dentists strive to keep patients' teeth healthy, so they can retain their teeth for as long as possible. Unfortunately, tooth loss can occur as a result of an impact to your mouth. If one of your teeth is suddenly dislodged from its socket, you should make an emergency dental appointment to try to save it. Place the tooth gently back in its socket until you are seen by a dentist. This will keep the roots of your tooth clean and moist, which can increase the likelihood that your dentist will be able to reattach your tooth.

3. Cracked Or Displaced Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are used to protect teeth that have been weakened by root canal therapy or extensive filling work. Dental crowns can sometimes be cracked through excessive bite force. They can also be accidentally dislodged by certain sticky foods. If your dental crown is cracked or becomes loose, you must see a dentist immediately to prevent avoidable tooth damage. You should avoid chewing on your exposed tooth until your dental crown can be replaced. Your dentist will likely place a temporary crown over your tooth until a new permanent crown can be made for you in a lab.

If you need emergency dental treatment, contact an emergency dentist today.