Injuries to the teeth or gums should never be ignored. The injury may have damaged the nerves or blood vessels. The tooth is also at a high risk of getting infected. Untreated infection can spread into other parts of the body and wreak serious havoc. In rare situations, it could become life-threatening. Anyone who suffers a dental injury must endeavor to seek treatment from the emergency soon after. Having the tooth repaired and treated will help to restore the usage and appearance of the tooth, as well as prevent further damages.

It is sometimes hard to decide if a dental injury is an emergency or not. The rule of thumb provided by most emergency dentists is that if it hurts, then it is an emergency. This is because injuries that appear insignificant can affect the pulp chamber of the tooth containing blood vessels and nerves.

Any apparent damage to the tooth must be treated promptly. This includes chips and fractures, which may affect the tooth and cause complications in the future. The emergency dentist can help to stop the damage from worsening. The same rule applies if a dental filling or crown detaches. This predisposes the tooth to more damages since it is no longer protected by the restoration. Seeing the dentist immediately means the chances of an easy repair is higher.

Chipping or breaking a tooth due to an accident or injury can be traumatizing. If one tooth or several teeth are knocked out, the sooner the person visits the emergency dentist, the better the chances are of saving the tooth. The dentist may yet be able to restore the knocked-out teeth back into their sockets, which means lesser expenses on costly dental restoration.

Patients must try to keep the knocked-out tooth clean and avoid touching the tooth roots. They can restore the tooth back into its socket or store it inside a glass of milk to preserve the tooth before reaching the dentist’s office.

If the tooth is chipped, the dentist may smoothe the edges or build up the tooth’s structure with a tooth-colored filling. If severe breakage occurs, the tooth may need to get a dental crown.

Visiting the emergency dentist soon after an injury is essential to get prompt relief and treatment. Delaying treatment is inadvisable due to the risk of complications.