When to Seek Emergency Dental Care?

by Kevin Smith Author

When your mouth experiences trauma or you're experiencing serious pain, it can be difficult to know what to do. Fortunately, a 24-hour emergency dentist in St. Petersburg, FL, can address the concern and make sure injuries are treated properly to avoid tooth loss, infection, and other problems. Here are some situations when you should seek emergency dental care as well as what to do in the meantime.

Tooth Knocked Out

If you get a tooth knocked out you should definitely call an emergency dentist right away. In some cases, a knocked out tooth can be placed back in the socket without further complications. But it's imperative that you get to a dentist right away or you risk losing the tooth forever. As soon as the tooth is knocked out you can attempt to place it back in the socket and then bite down on moist gauze while traveling to the dentist's office. If you're unable to place it back in the socket, place it in milk. In either case, be sure to not touch the root and try to handle the tooth as little as possible.

Cracked Tooth

A cracked, chipped, or broken tooth is also considered a dental emergency. Broken teeth can be extremely painful if the roots are exposed, so you'll need to see a dentist as soon as possible. You can help keep bacteria out of the cracked teeth by rinsing the mouth with water.

Tissue Injury

Tissue injuries should also be treated right away. These include tears, cuts, and puncture wounds to the tongue, cheeks, mouth, and lips. After contacting the dentist you can rinse the wounded area with water and if necessary apply gauze to the injured area if it's still bleeding. A cold compress can help alleviate the pain and swelling until you're able to get to the dentist.

Pain

If you're experiencing any type of pain in your mouth, especially if it's severe, call a 24-hour emergency dentist in St. Petersburg, FL, right away. Even if the pain isn't in your tooth, you could be experiencing pain from a serious infection in other areas of your mouth. Severe pain in the mouth could indicate infection, other illnesses, or the presence of an abscess. Whether the pain is sharp and piercing or prolonged and aching, you should see a dentist to identify the cause of the pain and remedy it with treatment.