You never know when you will need emergency dental care for yourself or other members of your family. A dental emergency includes any trauma to your mouth that causes damage to teeth or gums. You can suffer bleeding, lacerations to your gums, broken or missing teeth and other need for immediate dental attention. Along with providing general dentistry services, your dentist should be able to help you when you have a dental emergency in Columbus Ohio.

What Causes the Need for Emergency Dental Services?

dentist performing emergency dental care for a patientMany people need an emergency dentist at some point in their lives. You can suffer dental damage because of an accident, sports injury, a fall or even just biting into hard foods. Some of the most common culprits leading people to need emergency dental care are hard foods like ice, popcorn kernels, and candies.

Mouth injury often causes cracked, broken or dislodged teeth. These are times when you need emergency dental services. Waiting to receive such medical attention can lead to severe complications. Waiting for urgent treatment can also affect your wallet, costing more in the long run than immediate dental help.

Dental emergencies happen at any time of day, in any place and to any member of your family. Some of these injuries require the immediate attention of your dentist. But others can wait until the next business day.

However, serious cracks in teeth or cracks causing a large piece of your tooth to fall out require seeing your dentist immediately. If you suffer nerve damage or an entirely knocked out tooth, seeing the dentist can save your tooth. At other times, you experience trauma to your mouth that involves severe pain. An abscessed tooth is an excellent example of this type of problem.

These incidents are only a few of the types of injuries dentists treat, but some requiring you to call your dentist right away. You should always call your dentist’s office when emergencies happen, to find out if you need an emergency dentist in Columbus Ohio. If your visit can wait, your dentist’s office can set an appointment for you to gain prompt treatment.

Caring For a Dislodged Tooth

If you suffer a knocked out tooth, try to handle the tooth as little as possible. Pick up the tooth by its crown, not by the roots. Rinse it under the tap to remove dirt and debris. Then see if you can place your tooth back into its socket.

If your tooth fits back into its original setting, use a wet tea bag or moistened gauze over it to bite down comfortably. This holds it in place until you arrive at the dentist’s office. But be careful not to swallow your tooth.

If your tooth doesn’t stay in its socket, place it in a container of milk. If you don’t have milk, use your own saliva to cover the tooth in the jar or another container. This helps keep the tooth from drying out while you make your way to the dentist.

Knocked out teeth often cause bleeding from the socket. If this happens, bite down on a cold, wet compress. Use gauze or a soft rag saturated in cold water.

Your Columbus Ohio Emergency Dentist

In Columbus, Ohio, you can rely on the urgent dental care of South High Dental. Located south of Interstate 104, Dr. Matt Paulson’s caring team provides the emergency dentist you need, when it counts. Dental services at South High Dental include:

Whether you need emergency dental services or routine dental care for your whole family, you can rely on South High Dental. Contact South High Dental in Columbus now at 614-363-2462 for your first visit.