Most Common Dental Emergencies: What Are They?

There are plenty of things that can go wrong with our teeth and seeking emergency dental care in OKC in due time is crucial in managing them appropriately. While there are methods of preventing dental emergencies, like brushing your teeth, flossing and using mouthwash, accidents do happen and they can’t be avoided - but they can be managed and treated.

Common Dental Emergencies

It’s crucial to underline the importance of seeking emergency dental care at Classen Family Dentistry as soon as you notice something is wrong. A good indicator for this is pain – our body’s way of telling us that something’s wrong and that we need to seek medical assistance.

Pain, however, comes in different forms, each depending on its source and cause. For example, you may be suffering from an infection which causes pain and in that case, a treatment with antibiotics may be prescribed before further investigation is made.

However, toothaches usually arise as a consequence of tooth decay, caused by irregular brushing and flossing habits. Foods get lodged in between teeth and can start the demineralization process we commonly refer to as cavities. While just aesthetically unpleasant at first and without any noticeable symptoms, caries eventually end up in the tooth’s pulp and then pain starts to get noticed.

As far as younger people are concerned, tooth-related pain usually sets in when wisdom teeth start showing up. When wisdom teeth come out, they push the gums outward, usually leaving gum flaps which can easily host food fragments if oral hygiene is not up to par. In time and depending on the kinds of foods consumed, infections can arise and cause problems.

Another common, although often disregarded form of dental emergency is tooth trauma. Contact sports and chewing on hard materials can lead to teeth cracking. Once that happens, there’s little you can do but seek immediate emergency dental care in OKC. Only a professional can determine and eventually take the best course for managing your problem. Wearing protective gear and avoiding hard foods can seriously lower the risk of tooth trauma.