Signs of a Dental Abscess
You may have heard the word “abscess” before. But do you know what it is and how to spot the signs of a problem? Take a few moments to learn more about this serious tooth infection.
What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?
Taking care of your teeth and protecting your oral health is essential. Strong, healthy teeth come from brushing and flossing twice daily, or as directed by your dentist or physician. However, even with proper care, your teeth are vulnerable to our environment, and accidents happen. Some accidents can loosen teeth, sometimes an infection can catch you off-guard; regardless, knowing when you’re having a dental emergency is as important as calling our offices when you’re having one.
At Madison Family Dental, Shiva Salehi, DDS, leads our warm staff of caring professionals in providing top-quality care. We take dental emergencies seriously — not only do they impact your quality of life, they could also set the stage for dental issues down the line. Importantly, if you’re having a dental emergency, and you’re living with a chronic condition, like diabetes, getting emergency dental care is essential. Chronic conditions elevate your risk of developing complications as the result of a dental emergency and can also have an affect on your ability to heal and recover from injuries.
What is a dental emergency?
Many things that happen to your teeth, gums, tongue, and jaw constitute a dental emergency. Some common dental emergencies are:
- One or more knocked out teeth
- Cracked or chipped teeth
- Broken tooth
- Foreign objects in gum tissue
- Abscesses
- Infections
Pain is what drives many people to the dentist, and we’re here to help with any dental emergency, including pain, that you have.
Can I prevent a dental emergency?
As wonderful as it is to consider, it’s actually impossible to guarantee you’ll never have a dental emergency. Accidents happen, flossing and brushing don’t always get every food particle, and a variety of other things can happen to your teeth, even when you have the best of intentions. This is why Dr. Salehi is available to assist when you’re having a dental emergency — there are no ways to prevent them, but we have the tools and expertise to get you back to your regular daily life.
What do I do if I have a dental emergency?
A cracked, broken, or knocked-out tooth is always an emergency situation. Not only is your smile cracked, but you might be in pain. If you knock out one of your teeth, pick it up by the crown, not the root, and rinse it gently. Take it with you, and transfer it to an air-tight container with enough milk or water to submerge it.
Do this as quickly as you can; preserving your tooth is the best way for us to save your tooth, and save you pain, time, and money. Be sure to gently rinse your mouth with warm water if this happens to you. If you can, try putting your tooth back into the socket and holding it by biting down on a piece of gauze.
If you’re experiencing pain in your teeth, gums, or jaw, and it’s accompanied by a fever, you might have an infection or an abscess, and we would need to see you immediately. You may require medication to treat either issue, and the earlier we treat you, the less likely you are to have permanent damage to your oral health.
If you’re experiencing any pain, swelling, or bleeding in your gums, you might have a periodontal disease, and we need to assist you so that we can check on your oral health and try to save your teeth.
As many dental emergencies as there are, Dr. Salehi and the team at Madison Family Dental are ready to rescue you from your dental distress with top-of-the-line treatments in a professional environment.
Don’t make the mistake of waiting to address your dental emergency. Call us today at 916-226-4635, or book an appointment with us online.
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