What Do We Consider Dental Emergencies?

Having dental pain can be detrimental to many areas of your life. It usually starts with a bit of toothache. Soon, it progresses to sleepless nights, severe headaches, and not being able to drink or eat food until you visit one of the 24-hour emergency dentists in London. In this situation you can count is as a dental emergency.

Medical emergencies are not determined with the same parameters as dental emergencies. Hence, you need to understand what dentists consider a dental emergency and how to manage it. At Smile Works London, dental emergencies are regarded as serious situations, and we offer dental emergency appointments to all our patients.

We accept every patient, both existing and new, for emergencies, so you can visit our clinic if you find yourself in one.

If you do not know whether what you are experiencing is an emergency in the dental sense, read this blog post to understand what a dental emergency is, how to handle it, and what makes it different from medical emergencies.

It doesn’t matter whether or not your symptoms are the same as what we describe as an emergency; you must seek dental advice from a dentist.

You should be able to get an immediate appointment from your dentist so that you recover quickly.

What are the attributes of dental emergencies?

When in pain, it is possible to wonder whether or not you should book an emergency appointment with your dentist to diagnose the condition. However, dental emergencies are not the same as medical emergencies, so it should be easier to meet a dentist faster than you imagine. A dental emergency is broad; it covers a wide range of complaints, including:

• Excruciating dental pain

When you have severe pain in your mouth, booking an emergency appointment with a dentist can help you access dental care to alleviate the ache.

• Constant bleeding from the mouth

Bleeding constantly from your mouth is an emergency to dentists, and you should ensure that you meet with your dentist within the shortest possible time.

• Infection

In the case of a mouth abscess, we consider it one of our dental emergencies because severe infections in the mouth put your life at risk. So, immediately you start noticing a swollen area in or in your mouth, or you just feel some knots in your jaw, ensure you contact your dentist quickly.

• Knocked out tooth

A tooth can fall out due to an impact or injury. We consider this a dental emergency because having good emergency dental care can help remedy the tooth. However, this appointment must be booked immediately after tooth loss.

Even when you are unsure if you have any of the symptoms listed above, still contact a dentist.

What situations are not dental emergencies?

When wondering what dental emergencies are, it is also essential to find out what they are not.

Generally, dentists do not consider a chipped or cracked tooth a dental emergency, except sharp fragments are hanging in the mouth. But if you have severe pain, then it is a dental emergency.

When a chipped or cracked tooth is not causing severe pain, and you can wait for a regular appointment with the dentist, then it is not a dental emergency. That means that if it is possible for you to hold on for a while to see your dentist through a regular appointment, then you don’t necessarily need to book an emergency dental appointment.

A missed filling or crown is not classified under dental emergencies, but your dentist may consider seeing you a priority. Hence, this will enable you to have an appointment before other patients.

Even when you do not consider your situation an emergency, still, you should speak with your dentist. Your dental team should evaluate your case and decide whether you need an urgent appointment where you can receive treatment sooner than usual.

How to manage dental emergencies

Dental emergencies are both very painful and frustrating. So, while you wait for your turn to meet the dentist, you need to take good care of your dental health until you meet a dentist. It doesn’t matter whether or not you know the cause of the problem; being conscious of your dental health is essential when having a dental problem.

Cracked or chipped tooth

We consider a chipped or cracked dental emergency when it is a painful or severe fracture. After booking the emergency appointment, you should manage your fractured tooth by using lukewarm water to clean your mouth carefully. You should also try applying cold compress outside your mouth to alleviate the pain. They should keep you going until it’s time for your appointment.

Abscessed tooth

A tooth abscess is severe and may be threatening to life. Like you know, having an abscessed tooth means that there is a bag of pus around your tooth. Sometimes, an abscessed tooth can cause the lymph nodes in your neck to be tender, fever, facial swelling, and a bump protruding close to the affected tooth. If you think what you have is an abscess, book an urgent appointment with your dentist immediately.

We consider tooth abscesses dental emergencies because if they are not treated, infection will affect your jawbone and any other part of your body. However, when expecting your appointment, you must avoid hot foods and drinks. When cleaning your mouth, use a soft bristle toothbrush. It may also be reasonable not to floss the infected region. On the day of the appointment, use warm salt water to swill your mouth, as it will bring the pus closer to the surface.

Tooth abscesses can cause excruciating pain, but you should not take pain relievers like numbing gel before going for your emergency dental appointment.

Knocked-out tooth

People easily panic when they lose a tooth; we understand why, especially when it is a tooth from the front of the mouth. However, having a knocked-out tooth goes beyond being anaesthetic problem. When a space is created in your jaw by a lost tooth, it will make the other teeth move, thereby weakening the jaw.

A knocked-out tooth can be saved when rapid action is taken in an emergency dental appointment. However, while waiting for the appointment, pick up the tooth from the crown (avoid touching the root) and rinse in running water. If you are that brave, you can place it back in the socket and bite it down. If this cannot be done, put the tooth in a cup of milk until you get to the dental clinic. This is important as it will maintain the tooth’s pH balance and save the living elements until it is re-fixed in the jaw.

No matter the symptoms you may be feeling from a knocked-out tooth or infection, you must keep that area clean and free from food debris; else, you risk further infection.

How to have an emergency dental appointment

When you think about your situation and find it a dental emergency, the next thing to do is reach out to a dentist. This emergency appointment must not be with the regular dentist. Also, you don’t need to go to a practice where you are a registered patient to obtain treatment. However, when you contact the dental clinic for emergency appointments, tell them the problem and how you feel like you would if it were a physical emergency dental appointment.

Numerous practices usually leave some slots open for emergencies, and the dental surgery clinic staff should give you the next emergency appointments. Even if the emergency happens after working hours, you should find practices that offer extra-hours dental services.

If you cannot find an emergency dental appointment with your regular dental clinic, you may want to call another dental clinic to know if you can get an emergency dental appointment without registering

What to expect from emergency dental appointments

The treatment you will get in a dental emergency depends on your case. Nevertheless, the dentist will diagnose and treat the problem to give you relief. Sometimes, the dentist may need to extract the tooth causing the pain, but before doing this, your doctor will tell you why.

If the tooth was knocked out, your dentist should try to re-fix the tooth in the jaw depending on the time you go for the appointment. This, however, will depend on the time you arrive at the clinic. To make the tooth firm, they need to fix it on any side of the teeth. After some weeks, you will be asked to return for the splint to be removed.

If it is not possible to save your natural tooth, your dentist will replace it with a bridge or implant. During your emergency appointment, the dentist will inspect the tooth to know which replacement is best.

Abscessed tooth? The the dentist, during the emergency appointment, will examine the infected area and try to remove the pus. Depending on the placement of the abscess, your dentist may employ any of these methods to remove it. They include:

• Root canal:  A root canal procedure is used to remove an abscess from an infected tooth before it is filled and sealed.
• Tooth extraction: when a root canal procedure is not recommended, your dentist will remove the infected tooth.
• Incision and drainage: for this procedure, your dentist will make a small incision and drain the abscess.

Before offering any kind of treatment, the dentist will diagnose the problem. If there is a need for any more appointments, they will make the booking immediately. If there is a need for a replacement tooth. Your dentist will give you a day to come back and get them fitted.

At Smile Works London, we provide complete care, including the creation of dental prosthetics. This means that we will produce all your veneers and crowns at our laboratory on-site. Our dental precision can be trusted because we replace your missing tooth immediately.

Will I pay for an emergency dental appointment?

Yes, you will pay for an emergency appointment and any other treatment you receive. Most times, the cost of the emergency dental treatment (which may have been targeted to alleviate the pain or save your life) is usually covered in your cost of treatment. However, in the case of further treatment like dental implants (if the tooth was knocked out), this will not be included in the cost of the emergency dental appointment.

Dental emergency and medical emergency: what is the difference?

Dental emergencies are only applicable to issues concerning your oral health when it needs urgent treatment; it doesn’t need to threaten your overall health. For example, when a tooth is removed by trauma, it is taken as a dental emergency. It is not because it is life-threatening, but because immediate action must be taken to save the natural tooth. Except the trauma affected another part of your body.

Should I visit Accident and Emergency for dental emergencies?

The A&E department is where you only visit in the case of severe and life-threatening medical emergencies. You should not go to A&E because of dental emergencies, except you had a trauma to your face or mouth, and you experience severe bleeding, or the symptoms are life-threatening.

If your case is a dental emergency, book an emergency appointment immediately.

Should I call 111 because of a dental emergency?

When you are not sure whether what you experience is a dental or medical emergency or if you should visit the A&E, call the NHS helpline 111. During your call, you will be advised whether you need to contact a dentist or visit the A&E.

The operator at 111 cannot book you a private emergency dental appointment for you. But you can get the needed advice and book an emergency appointment for yourself.

Must I visit my regular dentist?

When it is a dental emergency, you must not visit your regular dentist. Take advantage of the numerous dental practices that offer emergency appointments to both new and existing patients. Even when visiting your regular dental clinic, your dentist may not be the one to attend to you .

Emergency dentists usually undergo special training on how to handle dental emergencies. They know the best painkiller to use and how to treat the problem.

Emergency dental treatment at Smile Works London

It can be scary to be involved in a dental emergency, but it can be quickly resolved. At Smile Works London, we know how sensitive dental emergencies are. That is why we offer dental appointments to both our new and existing patients. We also create a relaxing atmosphere with experienced and skilful dental practitioners to resolve a dental emergency quickly.

Do you need more treatment after the emergency dental appointment? we offer a full range of implants, cosmetic, endodontic and orthodontic dentists to provide the treatment. Or we advise you on the best thing to do to achieve your desired smile.

If you have a dental emergency, book an appointment with us to meet with our emergency dentists. Get in touch by visiting our website.