What Conditions Are Considered Dental Emergencies in the Wake of COVID-19?

Following the directive by ADA, dentists have rescheduled routine visits and now focus on dealing with emergencies. They are now utilizing teledentistry to instruct patients on what to do and even give out prescriptions. Even though they can attend to emergencies, the patients’ dental health and general health status have to be checked through teledentistry before they make their trip to the emergency dentist.

Your dentist may use a different phone number after working hours. It is important to keep their contact information as you may not know when tragedy will strike. When you encounter an emergency, call them first. It can happen anytime; you may be traveling or on the football pitch then start feeling a painful sensation in your teeth. Here is a list of dental emergencies and tips that can help before you reach your emergency dentist in New Jersey.

Knocked-out Teeth

Imagine this: you are the football team quarterback. You are running to score amidst cheers when your opponents tries to counter you and in doing so, hits your jaw and your tooth comes flying out. Tragic, right? You shouldn’t continue playing but instead, call your dentist and inform them of your situation. Thereafter, make your way to the dentist’s office. Following these steps improves the chances of your tooth being preserved and reinserted:

• Pick the fallen tooth by its crown. Avoid touching the roots.
• Rinse it gently to ensure it is clean. Avoid scrubbing it or removing the attached tissue. To avoid flushing it down the sink, place a washcloth over the sinkhole.
• If possible, reinsert the tooth into its socket. Gently hold it in place and try biting down.
• If reinserting it fails, place the tooth inside a glass of milk.

Loose or Misaligned Teeth

In this case, immediately reach your dentist. As you wait for your turn, use your finger to try putting the loose tooth into its position. Apply just a little pressure on the tooth but don’t force it.to prevent any movements, try biting down on it. For stabilization of the tooth, the dentist may splint it to the adjacent teeth.

Chipped, Fractured or Cracked Teeth

If you have a tooth that is chipped but painless, this is no dental emergency. You can see the dentist some days later. You should, however, take precautions not to continue chipping it. When you finally see the dentist, they may smooth out the chip or repair your tooth by adding filling material.

A fractured or cracked tooth, on the other hand, needs emergency dental care. The fractures are an indication that there is damage both on the inside and outside of the tooth. In some cases, the fractures may be so severe that you may lose your tooth. After calling your dentist, follow these tips:

• Rinse your mouth using warm water.
• Incase facial trauma is the cause of the fracture, minimize the swelling by applying a cold compress on the area.
• Your dentist may prescribe some pain killers for the discomfort.
• Avoid applying the painkiller to your gum as it may burn its tissue.

For proper diagnosis of your tooth’s condition, an x-ray may be done. In case there is damage to your soft tissue, a root canal may be the appropriate course of action. If that is not the case, a dental crown may fix it.

Some dentist offices make their crowns while others may use outside laboratories for this purpose. For the latter case, a temporary crown may be fitted to the tooth before the laboratory comes up with a permanent crown. If it is impossible to save your teeth, your dentist may recommend dentures, implants, or bridges.

Abscessed Gums

An abscess is a pocket of pus on the gums. The abscess could be red, yellow, clear, or white. It is an indication that either your gums or teeth are infected. The solution may be an extraction or root canal treatment. Your dentist should be made aware immediately. Do not try popping the swelling. Brush and floss the area until you can see the dentist.

Broken jaws and lost crowns and fillings are also dental emergencies. Do not take matters into your own hands as your condition may worsen. We at FaktorDMD handle dental emergencies in the Corona pandemic. If you need dentistry in Manalapan, NJ, come meet our experienced and friendly COVID-19 emergency dentist. Book your appointment today.