As a young mother, I was reasonably ignorant when raising my firstborn. My biggest regret is that I didn't help her take better care of her teeth. Like many people, I didn't realise the importance of baby teeth, resulting in long-term dental problems. Recently, my daughter got married and some of my tears were for the beautiful, glistening smile she presented to the cameras. Ever since I realised the dental damage I had caused, I had been saving for my daughter to have cosmetic dentistry. The results are remarkable. During the course of this journey, I have learnt a lot about caring for children's teeth and corrective procedures that can be undertaken when issues arise. I am sure many of you would be interested in the latest knowledge and techniques that are available to prevent and repair dental complications. I'm Margret Devlin - thanks for visiting.
It is often hard to know what constitutes a dental emergency and what dental problem could wait a few days for a less urgent appointment. Is it when you are in so much pain, you can't bear it anymore? Is it when your face swells up so that you are barely recognisable? Perhaps you are so sick of the constant throbbing in your mouth that you are consider yanking that tooth out yourself?
A dental emergency could be all of these things and more, and in fact, the following situations could be classed as a dental problem that would require almost immediate dental treatment:
When you get in touch with your dentist for a dental emergency, they will first assess you and attempt to reduce any pain you are feeling when possible. Only the most severe of problems will usually be dealt with or treated at your emergency dental appointment, and after the initial treatment, you will more than likely be referred back to your own, non-emergency dentist for the remainder of the treatment.
If you have knocked a tooth out, the best thing to do is stay calm but act immediately, making a dental emergency appointment as soon as you can. Keep the tooth if you can, and rinse it if it has picked up any mess or grime (for example, being dropped onto the floor).
If the problem is a painful wisdom tooth, or painful toothache, pain killers can help to alleviate the discomfort, but it is always advisable to seek dental advice. If an infection gets in or around the wisdom tooth, it will keep coming back time and time again until you get the problem under control. You may also find that eating soft foods and avoiding moving your teeth / jaw too much will also help to reduce any pain, until you can get to your emergency dental appointment to receive diagnosis and treatment.
Toothache might not seem like the kind of thing you would ring for a dental emergency appointment for, but if you seem to be taking pain relief to no avail, or the problem is getting worse, it is well worth seeking the advice of a professional dentist.
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28 August 2015
