Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
Patients everywhere should know what constitutes emergency dental care in Okemos so that you can ensure your oral health is cared for and avoid costly trips to your local hospital’s emergency room. Accidents most often happen at inconvenient times, like after hours or over the weekends. While some oral health conditions require immediate care, others could wait until the next business day. Today on the blog, Okemos emergency dentist Dr. Christine Tenaglia shares three times you should call an emergency dentist.
Common dental injuries include chipped or cracked teeth or an avulsed tooth (one that gets knocked out of its socket). Causes could be an unexpected injury to the face or mouth, biting or chewing something hard, trip and fall accident, or a sports-related injury. It may depend on the severity of the tooth damage and where it occurred as to the seriousness of the injury.
Here’s how to tell if your dental injury requires seeing an emergency dentist
Your tooth gets knocked out of the socket
Teeth become loose or get knocked out of the socket for a variety of reasons. Whether you suffer from severe gum disease or sustained an injury to your mouth, an avulsed tooth should be assessed by your dentist. In the meantime, clean the tooth of any dirt or blood, and store it in a cup of milk or place it back in the socket, and bite down on some moist gauze. In some cases, an avulsed tooth may reimplant or may require a root canal. There is no guarantee, however, that you will get these results. Significant injuries may require tooth replacement to fill the gap in your smile, but it’s worth a shot at saving the tooth if you store it properly and see an emergency dentist immediately.
Your tooth is cracked or chipped, and the nerve is exposed
If your tooth becomes cracked or chipped, or if a large filling or crown falls out, leaving the tooth’s nerve exposed, you should call your East Lansing emergency dentist right away. Not only are these circumstances likely to cause severe pain, but also your tooth is subject to damage if left untreated. Instead of visiting your local ER, call an emergency dentist near you to get treatment as soon as possible.
You have severe tooth pain that won’t let up
Teeth aren’t designed to hurt. But when they do, it’s often a sign that something more serious is going on. You could have an exposed tooth nerve, decay, or an abscess, which is an infection that leads to severe toothaches in many cases. It may start as an occasional pain that comes and goes but eventually turns into a throbbing toothache that leaves you pacing the floor. If you end up with a toothache like this, call your Lansing emergency dentist that’s available 24/7, Dr. Tenaglia. An abscess can be serious and even turn deadly if the infection spreads to your heart or brain. Do not ignore your pain if you think you may have an abscess, even if over-the-counter pain relievers curb your pain. Left untreated, the infection could spread and jeopardize your health or even your life!
Aside from these few instances, you might be able to put off minor chips, cracks, or loose fillings for a few days. However, don’t let any dental issue go on for too long. Doing so could lead to more extensive damage and eventually pain that keeps you up at night. When in doubt, have your dentist check your problem tooth.
Emergency Dentist in Okemos, East Lansing, and Lansing, Michigan
Tenaglia Smiles provides emergency dental care for broken, cracked, or avulsed teeth. If you aren’t sure whether your condition requires immediate care, please call Tenaglia Smiles by calling (517) 347-6733. Be prepared to answer a few questions regarding your pain level, the nature of your injury, and current oral health condition to determine how soon we need to get you into our Okemos dentist’s office.