Whenever you experience a sudden dental injury, accessing treatment quickly can make the difference between saving or losing your tooth. Your emergency could range from chips and cracks to an infection or a tooth that is completely knocked out of its socket. The longer you go without seeing a dentist, the longer you risk complications that may require more intensive treatment. In today’s blog, your Katy, TX dentist describes how we respond to your dental emergency
What Constitutes A Dental Emergency?
Certain problems with your teeth are often discovered and treated when you attend one of your regular checkups and cleanings. At these visits, we can detect and remove issues such as simple cavities to restore your tooth. Cosmetic problems such as discoloration can also wait until a standard daytime appointment to plan an appropriate treatment plan.
Dental emergencies include physical traumas that chip, crack, and break your teeth. While some damage may not hurt or appear major, any break in the protective layer of your enamel requires swift treatment to prevent rapid decay or infection from taking hold. Similarly, consistent pain in one of your teeth can indicate an existing infection that needs to be seen. If you have an injury that knocks out one of your teeth, it might be possible to return to your mouth when treated immediately.
Responding To Your Injury
There are steps you can take while you await treatment to relieve your pain and preserve your injured tooth. Consider taking an over-the-counter pain pill, and use a cloth compress to stop any ongoing bleeding. If you believe your injury to be life-threatening, or have bleeding you cannot control, dial 911 or head directly to the emergency room of your nearest hospital. They will evaluate and treat your injury before referring you for dental treatment. Otherwise, schedule your emergency dental appointment and preserve your injury. If you have broken pieces of tooth or a fully knocked-out tooth, collect them in a saltwater bath or jar of milk to bring to your visit.
Repairing Your Problem Tooth
After getting your injury under control and assisting your pain, we will discuss options to repair your tooth. We could apply composite resin to chips or cracks to build back up your tooth and return its original shape. For more significant damage, we could seal off your tooth above the gum line with a dental crown. This provides sturdy restoration for receiving the force of your bite beyond the capabilities of more minimal restorations.
Talk To Your Katy, TX, Dentist To Learn More About Emergency Dental Care
Do not wait when it comes to treating dental injuries! A speedy response can help you save your tooth after an accident. For more information on treating your dental emergency, or any other procedure, please call Lathrop Dental Center in Katy, TX at 832-437-3849.
