People live hectic lives and are under a lot of stress. This stress can impact lives in unimaginable ways and can have a lot of repercussions on your general health. Dental health too is not immune to all this and that is why you need to be all the more careful.
But what do you do when a dental emergency occurs unannounced? Though prevention is better than cure, sometimes certain situations make you seek medical help and that is why it is very important to know what is considered a dental emergency as this will help you take the right steps.
In this article, we discuss what to expect at an emergency dental clinic NYC
When should you rush to an emergency dental clinic NYC?
It is a waste of time, money and energy if you go to your dentist for every little thing. It can also be very stressful. At the same time if you neglect a real dental emergency and don’t see a dentist in time then you will unnecessarily complicate and worsen the situation at hand.
Then when should you go to an emergency dental clinic? Or rather how do you recognize a dental emergency at hand? We have listed some situations below that would warrant getting professional help immediately:
- A broken or knocked out tooth
- Bleeding that won’t stop
- Damaged or lost restoration
- Unusual swelling in and around the mouth
- Gum infection with pain or swelling
- Severe pain in the tooth, teeth or jaw bone
- Dental abscess
- Numb tooth
- Loose adult tooth
- Heightened tooth sensitivity
The list above is not exhaustive because in some situations it won’t be clear whether it constitutes a dental emergency as many situations are gray and not stark black and white. That’s why we recommend calling your dentist for a dental consultation when you are unsure about what to do.
In the next section, we have discussed the common mistake many people make by going to the emergency room instead of visiting their dentist for a dental emergency.
Why go to a dentist for an emergency instead of the emergency room?
Emergency dentistry is a specialized field and most emergency rooms do not have dentists or the equipment required to treat a dental emergency. So, if you end up at an emergency room for tooth problems they can only provide you with painkillers and antibiotics and will redirect you to an emergency dental care.
To get the right treatment you will need to visit the dentist. At the end of the day you will end up with two bills one from the emergency room and the other one from your dentist if you visit the emergency room for a dental emergency. By going to the dentist you can get the right treatment in the first instance itself.
Benefits of emergency dental care
The main focus of any emergency dental treatment is to relieve you of your mouth pain quickly and effectively. It also prevents your dental trauma from turning into an extensive issue requiring harsher treatments.
By immediately visiting the emergency dentist you can drastically improve your oral health. There are many types of emergency dental treatments available and the emergency dentist will first examine the problem, diagnose and then decide on the most effective course of treatment.
From treating the infection, removing the infected tooth to replacing missing tooth fragments, emergency dentists can perform many important operations and prescribe pain medications and antibiotics as well.
Prevention is better than cure any day especially if the circumstances are under your control. In the next section, we have discussed which good dental habits prevent you from going to the emergency dental care.
How to avoid a dental emergency?
The causes behind a dental emergency can be avoided if you have good oral hygiene and practice good dental habits. We have listed some of the things you can do to boost your oral health below:
- Brush your teeth twice a day
- Floss daily
- Eat a balanced diet
- Avoid smoking and consuming tobacco
- Visit your dentist regularly
- Get a teeth cleaning every 6 months
- Don’t use your teeth to open bottles or packages for that matter
- Don’t chew on hard foods or items
- Wear a mouth guard while playing sports especially contact sports
Conclusion
Dental emergencies are unavoidable and neglecting them can have serious repercussions. The best way out of a dental emergency is by going to an emergency dentist and seeking medical help. They are the best people to help you as they are trained and qualified for this very purpose.
At New York Dental Clinic we provide the best dental emergency services as we recognize that an emergency can strike anywhere at any time. All our dentists are board certified and have many years of experience under their belt. So, if you are having a dental emergency and don’t know what to do then step right into our clinic and our dentists will take good care of you.
