Auckland Emergency Dental Services - When You Need Them

Posted by Dental Studio on March 6th, 2017

Auckland emergency dental services may be needed for a chipped tooth, to a bad toothache, to a large facial swelling and infection that may be life threatening.

In this article, we're going to cover the nature of dental emergencies. You will be able to first, recognize a dental emergency and second, take any proper emergency steps at home and know when and where to contact your emergency dentist.

Keep in mind that there are people that may have very minor dental symptoms, i.e., minor sensitivity to cold or a very minor chip of a tooth and consider it a dental emergency, while others may ignore a throbbing toothache waiting for it to go away by itself.

If in doubt, always contact your dentist and he/she can evaluate and triage your symptoms and advise you of the proper course of action to take. These can range from applying some palliative steps at home and making an appointment for definitive treatment, to those emergencies that require immediate attention be it any hour of the day or night.

Dental emergencies can generally be placed into specific groups according to their nature or originating cause.

Auckland Emergency Dental Services From Infections To Broken Jaws

Dental infections may arise from many etiologies (causes or sources) including abscessed teeth, periodontal (gum) disease, infected or impacted wisdom teeth, or other causes in which a person has delayed seeking dental treatment and an infection finally takes hold, i.e., broken jaw.

Dental infections may smolder for quite some time, be put off by the person, but finally build up enough so that the person must seek emergency treatment. In other cases, a dental infection may flare up in as little as a few hours.

Infection may or may not cause pain. In any case, if there starts to be swelling within the mouth or facial swelling, a dentist should be contacted immediately.

Large facial swellings in the area of the lower jaw especially underneath can cause problems with breathing and in extreme cases be life threatening and turn into a full blown medical emergency.

Swellings in the area of the upper jaw near the eyes can cause infection to be transmitted into the brain with life threatening consequences.

Large dental infections may allow bacteria to end up in the blood stream and cause a generalized infection (septicemia) which can also be life threatening.

The message here is to contact and get to your emergency dentist at the first sign of swelling.

Fortunately, with the large variety of antibiotics and surgical interventions available today, grave consequences from severe dental infections are relatively rare.

Accidents

Dentally related accidents may range from a small chip of a tooth to a broken jaw to multiple trauma involving many teeth, oral soft tissue, tongue and boney structures of the face and jaws.

Obviously, multiple trauma is an emergency and normally is handled by medical and usually specialist dentists (oral surgeons).

Less severe accident cases are treated by general dentists. Common accident related emergencies are:

• Broken tooth - small tooth chips can usually be treated in a regular appointment with a filling. More severe fractured teeth are emergencies and are treated with fillings, extractions, or root canal treatment.
• Knocked out tooth - This is an accident where home treatment can be very critical. After performing home treatment and arriving ASAP to the dentist, the tooth will be treated appropriate to the situation.
• Lost fillings - Unless there is toothache, generally non-emergency later date appointment can be made. Fillings lost in the front of the mouth can be cosmetic emergencies and do need emergency treatment.
• Periodontal (gum) - Accidental tears or trauma to the gums is treated by repairing the damage usually by suturing the damaged areas together.
• Broken Jaw - This accidental emergency is usually definitively treated by dental specialists by surgical means and/or "wiring" the jaws together.

Bleeding

Although excessive bleeding related to dental problems is relatively rare, they do occur. These problems include dental post surgical bleeding or patients on blood thinning medications.

Treatment is related to repairing surgical bleeding areas and referring the patient to a medical doctor.

Toothache

This most common dental emergency can range from tooth sensitivity to throbbing toothache pain.

1. Sensitive teeth are in most cases not considered a dental emergency and can treated at a regular appointment using fillings or other appropriate treatments.
2. Severe toothaches are treated by extraction, root canal treatment or gum treatments. Treatment for mild toothaches may often be delayed for a regular appointment.

Other Causes

1. Some patients may have facial nerve problems such as trigeminal nerve pain (neuralgia). Although a chronic condition, flare ups may require emergency treatment.
2. Jaw joint problems including a dislocated jaw and severe jaw joint pain problems are emergencies. Home treatment for a dislocated jaw is to try and gently move the jaw back in place and then see the emergency dentist. The longer the jaw remains dislocated the more difficult it is to move it back in place.
3. Broken dental appliances such as dentures may be considered a dental emergency under certain circumstances.

Home Treatments

Treatments at home are palliative (temporary) they include:

• Taking an over the counter medication.
• Using moist heat for facial swelling and pain.
• Replacing a knocked-out tooth in its socket.
• Using a homemade sling and cold compressed for a broken jaw.
• Stopping any bleeding by placing pressure on the area.

After reading this article you should be prepared now for handling your dental emergencies. Locate an Auckland emergency dental services dentist at Stanmore Bay Dental Studio in Whangaparaoa. Our dental team is always ready and able to treat your dental emergencies when you need them. We also provide general, cosmetic affordable dental care and cheap implants of the highest quality. Avoid most dental emergencies by visiting us for an exam, treatment plan and estimate.