The Critical Role of Emergency Dental Care in Saving a Tooth

It is natural to feel anxious and stressed during an emergency where you likely will not be able to solve the problem yourself. The same goes for dental emergencies, but the anxiety and stress can be even worse due to potential pain. It is essential to seek out a local dentist in the Annandale, Virginia area who offers emergency dental care for situations like sudden excruciating toothache. Dr. Richard Fischer and the team at Evergreen Dental Wellness offer emergency dental care.

You should not panic when you find yourself in the middle of a dental emergency. Call your dentist as soon as possible to see how quickly you can get to the office and to get advice on what you should do in the meantime.

What is emergency dental care?

Understanding what actually qualifies as a dental emergency can be confusing. After all, if you are supposed to attend an important social function in a few days and suddenly realize you forgot to get your teeth whitened, this could be an emergency for you. However, this would not constitute a true dental emergency. You should seek emergency dental care if you are in severe pain, have difficulty eating and drinking, or have suffered trauma to your mouth that results in a broken, cracked, or bleeding tooth. If you feel throbbing pain or notice severe inflammation and have a fever, this should also be considered a dental emergency.

What can emergency dental care do for you?

Following are some examples of how seeking emergency dental care can help you during a crucial time.

Save Your Tooth

The goal of every dentist should be to deliver safe and effective care to save and restore natural teeth. It is estimated that around five million teeth are knocked out each year due to some form of impact, making this one of the most common dental emergencies. If you have a knocked-out tooth, you should contact your dentist immediately and see if you can locate your tooth. If you are able to, you can try to gently put the tooth back in the socket. When handling a lost tooth, only handle it by the crown – never the root. If you are unable to place it back in the socket, you can place the tooth in a small container of milk or warm water and bring it to your dentist.

Sports-Related Injuries

It is estimated that around 40 percent of all injuries occur during physical activities such as sports. Add auto accidents and falls into the mix, and you have brewed the perfect storm for damaging your jaw and mouth. If you find your mouth injured during such a situation, even if you have found a way to control any bleeding, you should contact your dentist to inquire about emergency care. You may have incurred critical trauma that is not readily apparent to the naked eye but exists nonetheless. It just makes sense to go in for an examination so any underlying injuries can be treated.

These are just a couple of instances where an emergency dentist could play a vital role in restoring oral health. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Richard Fischer and the team at Evergreen Dental Wellness, please call 703-215-9630.