The COVID-19 pandemic is posing wide-ranging effects on our daily lives, including how we schedule dental appointments. Since March 16 2020, the American Dental Association urged all dentists to postpone all non-urgent appointments to curb the spread of the Coronavirus disease. However, you can still get treatment for emergency dental problems. A dental emergency can be life-threatening, and thus it should be treated straight away. This post will explain five reasons why you should go to an emergency dentist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
5 Most Common Reasons for Emergency Dentist Visits:
1. Broken Tooth
A fractured, chipped, or broken tooth universally qualifies for an emergency dental care. If left untreated, a fractured tooth may collect bacteria, risking abscess or infection. It also risks damaging your nerves and lead to requiring a root canal in the future. To prevent further damage, avoid chewing vigorously and visit your dentist straight away to fix the problem.
If your tooth is severely damaged or broken beneath your gum line, then your emergency dentist might recommend a surgical extraction. A broken tooth may make you to experience severe discomfort and pain. That’s why you should visit an emergency dentist now to have the broken tooth fixed right away.
2. Mouth Injury
If your gums or teeth are injured in an accident or while playing games, visit an emergency dentist as soon as possible. Any dental emergency like a mouth injury can be potentially severe and thus should not be ignored. Ignoring a mouth injury can increase the risk of permanent damage as well as the need for expensive dental procedures later on.
Mouth injuries affecting the soft tissues such as gums, lips and tongue cause excessive bleeding, which have the potential to cause serious dental problems, but only if it doesn’t get immediate dental attention. So it is crucial to let your emergency dentist evaluate the mouth injury to fix the issue as soon as possible.
3. Removal of Something Stuck Between Teeth
When an object gets stuck in your teeth, it is regarded as a dental emergency. Even a food particle lodged in a wrong place can cause an dentist visit. When food fragments get stuck in a crevice, it can cause pain and inflammation. If something stuck between your teeth and is giving you sleepless nights, then you need to schedule an emergency dentist visit.
4. Swollen Mouth or Jaw
Your swollen mouth or jaw may be an indication of a severe infection; most probably a salivary gland infection. If you have a swollen jaw, coupled with a foul taste in your mouth, fever, trouble swallowing or breathing, you should visit your emergency dentist immediately. A salivary gland infection usually is a bacterial infection caused by the blockage in your salivary glands. Such obstructions can hinder your saliva from performing its role-washing away the bacteria and helping to break food particles down. While this kind of infection is not popular, you will want to schedule an emergency dentist visit instead of leaving it untreated.
Swelling of your mouth or jaws can also be an indication of a gum or tooth infection, like an abscess, particularly if it is accompanied by severe pain. Since an abscess will not vanish on its own, it is crucial to schedule an emergency dentist visit soonest possible to prevent it from spreading to other parts of your body.
5. Lost Filling
You might have experienced this; you bite a piece of an ice cube or hard nuts, and you hear that crack or crunch telling you something has gone wrong. You busted a crown or filling. Losing a filling can be a frightening experience. It can also cause discomfort or pain when your tooth is exposed to cold or hot substances.
When you lose a filling, you need first to put it in a safe place. If it is not broken, it can be salvaged, and this could save you money and time when you to have it replaced or fixed by a dentist. Losing a filling occurs more frequently than a person thinks. When you lose a filling, you need to get emergency dental care.
There are several other reasons why you may want to see an emergency dentist during the COVID-19 pandemic apart from the ones discussed above.
Schedule Your Next Emergency Dentist Visit
The help of an emergency dentist is crucial for some instances of life-threatening dental tragedies. When you experience any of the five conditions outlined above, seeking emergency dental care is essential. If you are in Murfreesboro, contact Dr. William Fitzgerald straight away! Please request an appointment here Contact us or call Fitzgerald Dentistry for an appointment at our Murfreesboro dental office.
