Handy Tips to Dealing with Various Dental Emergencies

Generally, dental problems tend to develop gradually over a period of time. They may start off as mild discomfort, which if caught early could prevent larger dental problems from developing. However, in other cases, the pain that you experience could be sudden. Alternatively, perhaps you ignored the signs of underlying dental problems and finally find yourself in an emergency dental situation. For some individuals it may not be easy to discern whether they require immediate emergency dental assistance or not. Here are some handy tips that you could use when dealing with various dental emergencies. 

Bleeding from soft tissue in your mouth

The soft tissue in your mouth includes your tongue, inner cheeks and your lips. These areas are prone to injury from either chewing aggressively or hard brushing of your teeth. Minor bleeding in the soft tissue may not warrant an emergency dental visit, as all you would need to do is clean the area and let the bleeding taper off on its own. However, if your soft tissue has acquired severe damage that has led to swelling and excessive bleeding, then you need to visit a dentist post haste. To try to decrease the swelling, you could apply a cold compress on the affected tissue as you make your way to the emergency room. 

A tooth is cracked or broken

Some people tend to be under the false assumption that if they do not experience any pain after chipping or breaking a tooth, then it is not a serious matter. The truth is that a broken or a chipped tooth may not start off painful, but the nerves in your tooth could eventually become exposed. This not only makes the affected tooth sensitive over time, but it could also expose it to developing a bacterial infection. If you crack or break a tooth, the first thing you should do is rinse out your mouth with warm water. If you feel some discomfort, you could apply a cold compress on the affected tooth as you make your way to the dentist. 

Your metallic braces have acquired damage

For your metallic braces to straighten your teeth efficiently, then need to stay in optimum condition. Broken wires or missing brackets could lead to incorrect alignment of your teeth. As such, if your braces acquire any damage, it is prudent to see an emergency dentist rather than wait to have them fixed at your next dental appointment.