Dental emergencies occur when a patient experiences something that requires immediate attention and care. This includes abscesses and infections, swollen gums, cracked or chipped teeth. Instead, you can try repositioning the wire with tweezers. You can also use orthodontic wax to cover the end of it, which will keep you from accidentally swallowing a small piece or cutting yourself while chewing. If the break is small and you’re not in pain, you can usually wait for your regular orthodontist checkup to have it repaired. On the other hand, if you’re in a lot of discomfort or the protruding wire is cutting into your cheek, then it’s best to call for an emergency dental near me appointment immediately.
Broken or Loose Wires in Braces
It’s no secret that orthodontic braces aren’t exactly the most comfortable things to wear. Sometimes, even if you follow your orthodontist’s dietary restrictions, a wire might snap or bend in such a way that it digs into your cheek or tongue. While your natural reaction is to yank it out, that could be disastrous since wires are carefully calibrated to exert specific pressure on each tooth.
Tooth Pain
Tooth pain can be a sign of a variety of issues, from dental decay to gum disease. Oftentimes, this pain will subside if treated promptly, but in some cases it may become so severe that it qualifies as a dental emergency.
The best thing to do is contact your regular dentist for an appointment and try to remain calm. Until then, there are a few things you can do to ease the pain and reduce swelling:
Applying a cold compress to your face or cheek over the painful area can help reduce inflammation and numb the pain. Using a rinse such as warm salt water or diluted hydrogen peroxide can help disinfect the area and soothe the irritated nerve. Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also help. Clove oil can also be applied directly to the tooth to provide natural analgesic properties. Do not chew on the affected tooth, as this can cause further damage and increase pain.
Infections
Toothaches that are severe, persistent and not relieved by over-the-counter pain relief may be a sign of an infection or abscess. This can be an emergency situation, so it is best to search for “24 hour dental near me” immediately.
A swollen jaw, a foul taste in your mouth, and difficulty breathing or swallowing can also indicate an infection in your mouth or throat. This can lead to pneumonia or other serious health complications if not treated.
Infections from untreated cavities or gum disease can cause a swollen area or pus on the root of your tooth called an abscess. If not treated immediately, this can spread the infection to other parts of your body. If you suspect an abscess, rinse your mouth with a salt water solution (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of warm water) several times per day to help draw the pus toward the surface and ease your pain.
Tooth Fractures
Tooth fractures can range from small cracks that are virtually invisible to cracks that extend deep into a tooth. Regardless of how serious a fracture is it must be repaired quickly to avoid infection and more severe problems.
Tooth breakages can occur as a result of trauma like sports injuries or from bruxism. These types of dental issues are often easy to repair with composite bonding if there is no irreversible damage to the tooth’s pulp.
Craze lines are superficial cracks that only affect the outer enamel and do not pose a threat to the structure of the tooth. They can be fixed with a filling or dental crown. Fractured cusps are cracks that develop on the chewing surface of the teeth and commonly occur around a filling. These types of fractures usually don’t cause any pain and can be fixed with a root canal or dental crown. Vertical root fracture is a more serious type of crack that begins at the end of the root and extends toward the surface of the tooth. These type of cracked teeth have a greater likelihood for unfavorable prognosis and typically need to be removed.