A dental emergency, like any medical emergency can have potentially serious long-term consequences if not treated correctly and quickly. By ignoring or avoiding treatment you could put yourself at risk of much more extensive and costly treatment in the future.
One of the most common dental emergencies is a toothache. This is usually caused by an infection in the sensitive centre of the tooth caused by dental cavities. Toothaches can vary in terms of pain but any toothache requires dental treatment as soon as possible. If the pain has been caused by an infection it is important to receive treatment to prevent it spreading. Rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to your cheek to relieve the pain and make an appointment to see a Leeds dentist immediately. It is also important to see a dentist even if the pain seems to have gone away, as this may have been caused by the death of the nerve endings.
Other common dental emergencies include damage to teeth by head trauma or hard food. Chipped, cracked or broken teeth can be very painful but can usually be easily treated with dental bonding or porcelain replacements. Initial application of gauze to the area with light pressure will usually stop the bleeding before you see the doctor. Knocked out teeth are slightly more of a concern but with the right action it is still possible to save the tooth. Placing the knocked out tooth in milk or covering it with saliva can extend its life even when knocked out the mouth. A dentist may then be able to replace the tooth.
Whatever the nature of your dental emergency, you can request an urgent appointment with a Leeds dentist or receive information about emergency procedures out of hours form their answering service.
Tags: chipped tooth, cracked tooth, dental cavities, dental emergency, toothache
