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Dental trauma generally refers to a situation in which you injure your tooth, leading to severe tooth pain, dental fractures, or even a knocked-out tooth. You may have a tooth trauma while playing sports, or in an accident, or you may fall and chip a tooth. Depending on the severity of tooth trauma, you may need to consider emergency dental services near me. Tooth trauma can be extremely mild or extremely dangerous. The following are some of the possible consequences of tooth trauma and what you should do about them.
Why Shouldn’t You Ignore Tooth Trauma?
- Hairline Fracture: Let’s start with the mildest form of tooth trauma — a hairline fracture. Perhaps you cracked your tooth a little while biting something hard, leading to a hairline fracture. This usually refers to an extremely thin crack on your tooth’s surface, not going anywhere deeper than the enamel. Hairline fractures don’t constitute dental emergencies because there’s no immediate risk. Dental fractures on the enamel don’t cause any pain or discomfort, and most people don’t even feel them. As such, you can schedule an appointment during regular dental office hours. Depending on the fracture’s size, the dentist office near me may seal it with a composite resin dental filling. Hairline fractures aren’t dental emergencies, but you must still schedule a dental appointment because they can eventually become sources for the accumulation of bacteria, eventually leading to severe dental decay. As such, you should seal them before they worsen.
- Loose Tooth: Adults shouldn’t have loose teeth. Suppose you have a loose or wiggly tooth because of tooth trauma. In that case, it means your tooth may have slightly dislocated from the alveolar bone, i.e., the underlying jawbone. Whatever the cause of the loosened tooth, you must contact an emergency dentist in Houston for immediate dental treatments. In most cases, the dentist will simply reattach the tooth and tighten the gums around it. However, in some cases, the dentist may need to opt for more extensive treatments. The dentist may also need to do an x-ray or oral exam to identify the cause of loose teeth.
- Severe Dental Fracture: A severe dental fracture refers to a tooth trauma that affects a considerable portion of your tooth’s structure. Dental fractures that extend below the enamel or under the gum line need immediate treatment. As such, if you notice that the dental fracture is severe, either too deep or going under the gums, you must contact a dentist open on Saturday near me immediately. The dentist will take x-rays of your teeth to determine the extent of the damage, based on which they’ll curate the appropriate treatment plan. If the dental fracture isn’t too deep, they can seal it with dental fillings. However, if the fracture is too big, they may need to provide dental crowns or perform a root canal. In the worst-case scenario, the dentist may also need to perform an emergency tooth extraction.
- Knocked-Out Tooth: The final possible consequence of a tooth trauma is a knocked-out tooth, which usually occurs when you sustain a severe injury during sports. If you’ve knocked out your tooth, you should preserve the tooth and its fragments in an airtight container with some milk or saltwater. You should contact an emergency weekend dentist immediately because it may be able to reattach the tooth if you’re quick. However, the possibility of reattachment significantly goes down after an hour.
Can I go to the ER for severe tooth pain?
You shouldn’t go to a hospital’s emergency room for severe toothaches or other dental emergencies. People often go to hospital ERs for dental problems when they should instead call your dentist near me or go to an emergency dental clinic. ERs don’t have dentists in attendance, and they usually charge 10x what a dental emergency clinic would offer. Furthermore, ERs can’t diagnose or treat the root cause of your dental problem, so they provide painkillers or antibiotics and recommend you to a dental clinic. As such, you should go to an emergency dental clinic directly — it would save a lot more time and money. Emergency dental clinics can diagnose the root cause of your dental problems and provide the correct treatment for toothaches.
How does a dentist fix a chipped tooth?
There are several possible treatments for a chipped or broken tooth, depending on the severity of the dental fracture. The following are some of the possible treatments for a chipped tooth.
- Dental Filling: The dentist applies a filling material, usually composite resin, into the dental damage or cavity.
- Dental Bonding: The dentist etches the tooth’s surface and bonds a tooth-colored resin material over the tooth’s surface, covering up and sealing the damage.
- Dental Crowns: These are caps attached over your existing teeth. The dentist shaves off some of the tooth’s enamel’s external parts, making enough space to accommodate the new tooth-shaped and tooth-colored dental crown. You can get dental crowns in several materials, including porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and metallic alloys.
- Root Canals: This is a procedure in which the dentist drills an access hole into your tooth and removes all the infected pulp from the root canal. It is generally necessary if you have a massive cavity with dental decay. After removing all the pulp chamber contents, the dentist may seal it and attach a dental crown to strengthen the weakened tooth.
Schedule an emergency dentist appointment today.
URBN Dental is one of the best dental clinics for emergency dental care in Houston, Texas. If you’re experiencing a dental emergency or need dental work, please call your dentist to schedule an emergency appointment immediately.
Summary:
Dental trauma generally refers to a situation in which you injure your tooth, leading to severe tooth pain, dental fractures, or even a knocked-out tooth. You may have a tooth trauma while playing sports, or in an accident, or you may fall and chip a tooth. Depending on the severity of tooth trauma, you may need to consider emergency dental services near me. Tooth trauma can be extremely mild or extremely dangerous. There are several possible treatments for a chipped or broken tooth, depending on the severity of the dental fracture, including dental fillings, dental crowns, dental bonding, and root canal therapy. You shouldn’t go to a hospital’s emergency room for severe toothaches or other dental emergencies. ERs don’t have dentists in attendance, and they usually charge 10x what a dental emergency clinic would offer. Furthermore, ERs can’t diagnose or treat the root cause of your dental problem, so they provide painkillers or antibiotics and recommend you to a dental clinic. URBN Dental is one of the best dental clinics for emergency dental care in Houston, Texas. If you’re experiencing a dental emergency or need dental work, please call your dentist to schedule an emergency dentist appointment immediately.