Is Cracked Tooth an Emergency?

Any dental emergency, such as a broken tooth, is a frightening experience, and in most cases, it’s essential to get medical attention immediately. In most cases, however, one can do things to reduce the immediate discomfort and minimize the risk of complications.

Understanding Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies usually involve pain, uncontrolled bleeding, and a tooth at risk. A tooth at risk has been broken, severely loosened, cracked, or knocked out.

We have listed some dental emergencies and steps you can take to handle them before seeking dental emergency treatments.

Dislodged or Knocked Out Teeth

Proper emergency action can save your teeth if you get knocked out. For example, if the trauma to your mouth results in a tooth falling out of the mouth, you can save that tooth by doing the following:

• Rescue your tooth immediately, pick it up by the crown, and avoid touching the roots with your fingers.
• Rinse the knocked-out tooth carefully with clean and fresh water to remove any bacteria and dirt it may have picked from the ground. Avoid using soap or any other chemicals that can kill the roots.
• Ensure you put the tool in its socket by holding it by the crown and carefully inserting the root into it. Hold the tooth gently in place and bite down slowly until it’s back in its correct position. The sooner you put it in its correct position, the more likely you will save the root.
• If you cannot pick the tooth in its sockets until you get to your dentist and show you put it in your mouth next to your cheek or carried in a container with milk to keep it moist. Avoid using water because the tooth root cells can’t handle the water for more than a few seconds at a time.

Try to get to your dentist in Holger Dental Group in Minnetonka within 30 minutes of your injury. This helps maximize your chances of saving the tooth.

Tooth Abscess

An Abscess develops, and one gets bacteria into a tooth’s pulp through a crack or chip in the enamel or a dental cavity. The bacteria causes an infection and inflammation, which results in a swollen gum area and pain when one is chewing. You should try taking over-the-counter pain medicine before getting to your emergency dentist.

Loss of Crown, Filling, or Appliance

If a feeling or a crown falls out or you break a denture or other appliance, it might not look like a big problem at first. However, you should get dental attention as soon as possible because any of these problems can cause changes in your bite. This affects your overall dental health in the long term.

In addition, all the appliances can result in your mouth being inadequately supported, which causes your other teeth to loosen and shift.

A missing dental filling also exposes the roots to bacteria resulting in an abscess or an infection. If possible, you should rescue your broken appliance or crown and bring it with you to your dentist. Your dentist will decide whether to refit any part of your broken appliance or crown or use it to model a new appliance.

Deciding When to Go for Emergency Treatment

Some of the factors that can make you decide when to go to the dentist include the following:

• Having injuries to your teeth: This can occur due to an accident or a hard blow to your face. The dentist in Minnetonka Provides fast relief to your teeth.
• Swelling in the mouth or face: An injury to your mouth or face can cause inflammation and swelling. This can be fatal to you unless you get emergency dental care immediately.
• Intense pain: You should get emergency dental care when the pain reaches severe levels. Your dentist will help eliminate the pain and prevent bone or tooth loss.

What to Do After Breaking a Tooth

If you have a broken tooth, you should follow these steps immediately before getting to your dentist

• Try rinsing your mouth with warm water
• Apply pressure on bleeding areas using a wet tea bag or gauze
• If your cheeks are swelling, Try applying an ice pack
• You should cover any significant cracks with temporary dental cement
• If it’s painful, take over counter pain relievers such as paracetamol
• Cover the broken teeth with saliva milk or saline solution
• Ensure you don’t brush the broken teeth and make an appointment to see your dentist immediately.