Most people know what it means if they wake up at 2:00 AM and they have a throbbing sensation underneath one of their teeth. This means that in the next 24 hours you will likely have to pay an emergency visit to your nearest dental team!
You will undoubtedly be a bit worried or even panicked about what to do in the interim between now and the appointment. Will you need to take the day off of work? How severe will the discomfort get in the next few hours?
The majority of the public do not know how to handle a dental emergency as they are somewhat rarer than physical health ones, and in this article, you will be advised on what to do if you are experiencing a dental emergency from a dentist in Tunbridge Wells.
Don’t panic
As obvious as it sounds, the first thing to do is not to panic. Panic causes the blood pressure to increase and heightens sensitivity throughout the body, which is the last thing you need if you are already suffering from discomfort in one of your teeth or anywhere in your mouth. Be sure to take deep breaths and try to rest if you can. Do not consume any stimulants such as coffee and aim to apply gentle pressure to the area of your face that is hurting if you are able to.
Clean the area (if applicable)
The majority of dental emergencies are usually an oral abscess or a loose restorative. In either case, one of the easiest things you can do to prepare for your upcoming visit to your emergency dental team is to gently clean the area with salt water. This will remove any debris and can also help to reduce any swelling that is occurring at the same time. If it causes you too much discomfort to clean the area, then don’t worry as this will be something that your emergency dental team will be able to do.
Take pain relief
Of course, the pain relief that you take will depend heavily on what your dental emergency is. If you have an oral abscess or a loose restorative, then it is best to take something like paracetamol. If you have an oral bleed that has seemingly sprung up, you should avoid taking ibuprofen and aspirin as both of these have blood thinning qualities that can cause the bleed to worsen and lead to further bruising.
As mentioned before, if you’re able to apply pressure to the part of your face where the discomfort seems to be radiating from, apply a warm pad or even a hot water bottle through a towel to avoid burning the skin.
Call an emergency team
It sounds obvious but you will need to call an emergency dental team if you are in severe discomfort. The majority of emergency dental teams operate 24 hours a day but if you are already registered with the dentist, their phone line should have a recorded message on where you can seek emergency help if you need to.
Be sure to attend the appointment
Many people assume that if between them calling the dental surgery and the appointment the pain disappears, they do not need to attend the appointment. This is of course not true and regardless of whether or not the pain has stopped or subsided, you still need to attend an emergency appointment to have the underlying cause treated and assessed, to prevent it from recurring in the future.