There is not a single dental patient alive who wants to experience a dental emergency!
Many people presume, and sometimes rightly, that having a dental emergency will be uncomfortable, disruptive, and may cost a lot to fix. While the latter point will depend and vary based on the severity of the dental emergency, not all emergency dental situations cause discomfort.
But how do you distinguish them from everyday issues?
At Berry Lane Dental, we know how uncomfortable it is to experience a dental emergency, and so our dentist in Rickmansworth will quickly triage any issues that you contact our surgery with. Therefore, if you are unsure if you need an emergency appointment, call our team!
So, what are some of the key signs that you have an emergency dental issue and need to see our dentist in Rickmansworth? Read on to find out!
Dental discomfort
Dental discomfort is an obvious indicator that you need to see our emergency dentist in Rickmansworth.
If the discomfort is keeping you awake at night, causing distraction, or making you feel tired or ill, this is likely a sign that you have a dental abscess, which will need to be treated quickly by our team to prevent it from becoming septic.
Lost filling or crown
When you have an older filling or crown that was fitted over 15 years ago, it is more likely to fall out.
While lost fillings and crowns can present with discomfort, this is not always the case, so if you run your finger or your tongue over one of your teeth and it feels sharp, it is best to have this assessed by our team. Lost restoratives need to be replaced to prevent decay from occurring and to prevent the tooth from becoming infected.
Swelling
Swelling to the face is rarely a flattering look, and any swelling that is near the jawline, in the mouth, or located near your cheeks will need to be assessed by our team.
In most cases, swelling is the result of a dental abscess or even an impacted tooth, so it is vital that you attend our surgery to have the issue diagnosed and treated promptly.
Ulcers
Oral ulcers are not a new thing and can impact those who have food intolerances, are under stress, or people who have recently been unwell.
Although, an ulcer becomes a dental emergency if it is larger than a 5-pence piece, is bleeding, or is recurring in the same part of your mouth. These can be signs of oral cancer and will need to be explored by our team.
Bleeding
OK, so bleeding from the mouth is not abnormal, especially if you have just had a tooth extracted or had blunt force trauma to the area. However, if the bleeding that you have does not slow down after applying gauze for 20 minutes, then you need to see our team as soon as possible. We will be able to stop the bleeding in most cases, which will prevent blood loss. If the bleeding is too extreme for us to manage, we will send you to the local emergency department.