Emergencies are never fun and can incite panic even in the calmest of people. Nowhere is this truer than in the area of dental treatments and distress caused by a dental emergency.
But many people assume that a dental emergency is linked solely to discomfort; this is not always the case and can lead to delays in treatment which cause long-term problems with your dental health.
At Haymarket Dental Care, our dentist in Haymarket is proud to be able to offer emergency dental treatment to all of our patients. Ensuring that any discomfort you are in will be resolved promptly and you will be able to go about your day as normal, as quickly as possible.
So what constitutes a dental emergency and what warrants a same day trip to see our emergency dentist in Haymarket? Read on to find out!
Discomfort
It is stereotypical but yes, if you are in excessive discomfort with a tooth or anything in your mouth, you will need to see our emergency dentist in Haymarket.
This is especially true if the discomfort is driving you to distraction, preventing you from eating or sleeping. While we cannot specify the cause of the discomfort here, in most cases if it is that extreme, it is likely to be a dental abscess that requires urgent treatment to prevent sepsis and damage to surrounding bone tissue.
Swelling
In a similar vein to abscesses, swelling to the face, under the chin or anywhere in the mouth also warrants a same day trip to see our team, even if the swelling is not causing discomfort.
This is because any swelling that is left untreated can cause issues with eating and breathing and could be indicative of a condition known as an impacted tooth or even an allergic reaction, both of which require urgent triaging and treatment.
Detached bracket
Something that is often overlooked in dental care is what occurs when a bracket that is attached to a brace detaches from the tooth. Is this a dental emergency?
Technically, it does require urgent treatment, as if one bracket is detached, it can cause issues with the surrounding brackets, it can cause them to come away and can create problems with the realignment process altogether if it is left untreated. You will need to contact your orthodontist, but our team can reattach the bracket using cement to relieve any pressure that you experience.
Ulcer
Ulcers in the mouth, on the lips or the gums, are common, especially if you are under stress or are ill. But if you have an ulcer anywhere in your mouth that is larger than a 5 pence piece, is bleeding or is recurring in the same area, then you will need to seek out our emergency team as this can be a sign of oral cancer.
Lost restorative
Many people who have lost a filling or crown have experienced the discomfort that accompanies such things. But even if your lost filling or crown is not causing discomfort, you need to see our emergency team promptly to have it refitted and to prevent any damage occurring to the tooth or decay from setting in.