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How to handle dental emergencies!

Updated: Mar 19, 2023




Can your dentist be your emergency contact?


Unquestionably, a baby falling on his face and hurting a front tooth or having a bad toothache qualify as dental emergencies. In such unforeseen circumstances, people frequently rush the patient to the closest hospitals or emergency rooms.

Mishaps and dental emergency happen once in a while. Our response to them determines how well we can deal with the situation and take a well-informed decision.


They are two types:


  1. Conventional dental emergencies

  2. Dental urgency.


According to the Canadian Dental Association, dental emergencies can be fatal and require immediate attention to stop excruciating pain, an infection, and persistent tissue bleeding. Typically, they pose a threat to life.

Dental urgency is the management of conditions that require prompt attention to relieve severe pain or a possible infection. They do not pose any life threats.



An emergency dentist is well versed in handling dental emergencies and urgencies.


Let’s cite examples to understand both the types of emergencies:



The following are some dental urgencies:


  1. Avulsed or knocked-out teeth as the result of an accident; common in children as well as adults.

  2. A broken tooth due to a fall, hard food, or an unexpected blow.

  3. Gum abscess or a pus-filled pimple.

  4. A toothache is a severe dental pain caused by gum disease, dental infections, or simply after biting on something hard,

  5. Uncomfortable wisdom tooth.

  6. After an extraction, root canal procedure, etc., pain and swelling might worsen.

Dental emergencies:


  1. Injuries to the head and neck from traffic accidents.

  2. Excessive bleeding

  3. Breathing problems resulting from cellulitis or airway swellings.


Handling of some of the common dental emergencies



  1. A knocked-out tooth: Be quick; whether it is for an adult or a child. You have one hour to get the tooth to the dentist. Cold milk is the ideal environment in which to keep an avulsed tooth. The dentist treats the infection further, cleans and replaces the tooth in the socket, and then splints it.

  2. With a tooth fracture, the dentist determines whether to extract it and replace it with an implant, depending on the severity of the fracture.

  3. A toothache can cause headaches, earaches, and restless nights in addition to being excruciatingly painful. To relieve the pain, a gum cleaning, saline wash, or tooth filling is usually suffiient. If you can't get in to see a dentist, you can get immediate relief by gargling with warm salt water and taking an over-the-counter painkiller.

  4. Abscess or a pus filled swelling: The dentist cleans the area to remove pus and help you feel better.

  5. Last molar pain: The wisdom tooth hurts as it emerges. Additionally, it is frequently found to have an impact on the current population. This virtually eliminates any room for an eruption. The three main factors that contribute to tooth and ear pain there are tooth decay, gum overgrowth, and persistent food lodgement. A local anesthetic will be used during the dentist's emergency tooth removal



Dental emergencies can often happen during a dental appointment.


The conditions that require immediate attention by the dentist and his assistant are:


  • Hypoglycemia: Hypoglycemia or hypoglycemic shock or a diabetic coma is common. Seen in patients who are severely malnourished or diabetics whose relative insulin overdose has caused it. Quick recovery after giving oral glucose, or glucagons if they are unconscious, then oral glucose when they become conscious glucose on regaining consciousne


  • Vasovagal attack or syncope: Frequently linked to anxiety, the initial symptoms of fainting include cold, clammy skin, pallor, initially bradycardia and a low pulse, then tachycardia and a full pulse, though they are not always present. Recovering quickly while supine or with their heads slightly bowed (a maximum recommended inclination of 10 degrees).


  • Cardiac arrest: Or simply a heart attack. Normal risk factors include a history of angina, coronary artery disease, hypertension, or another condition.


  • Steroid crisis: Only occurs in people who are under stress and taking systemic steroids.




Essential drugs to treat dental emergencies in Waterdown:


MEDICATION---------------DENNTAL EMERGENCY----------------------------DOSAGE


Oxygen----------------------Almost any medical emergency---------------------100%inhalation


Nitroglycerin-----------------Angina pain-----------------------------------------------0.3-0.4mg sublingual


Antihistamine

(dephenhydramine or chorpheniramine-------------Allergic relations----------25-50mg IV, IM. 10-20mg IV, IM


Aspirin------------------------------------------Myocardial infraction-------------------160-325 mg.


Epinephrine----------------------Anaphylaxis, Asthma (if unresponsive to albuterol/ salbutamol can lead to cardiac arrest)-----------------------------------0.1 mg IV or 0.3-0.5mg IM. 0.1 mg IV or 0.3-0.5mg IM. 1.0 mg IV.


Albuterol/salbutamol------------------------Asthmatic bronchospasm----------------2 prays: inhalation




Training protocols for emergency dentists and their dental office:


The clinic's staff should possess the necessary education. It is important to foster a team approach to handling medical emergencies. Staff members should be aware of their responsibilities in handling emergencies thanks to an established protocols. Even though having a portable emergency drug kit is important, being prepared to follow the right emergency procedures and properly administer the medications is even more crucial. It's important to know the ABCs of CPR, how to oxygenate intramuscularly, and where to administer intravenous medications.




Conclusiuon:


Next time you face a dental emergency, do not rush to the emergency room of a hospital and wait in long lines. Instead, a quick search for dental emergencies near me can save time and enhance the prognosis of the issue.





Frequently Asked Question



What are the most common dental emergencies?

Diabetic shock, cardiac arrest, syncope or fainting, asthamatic attack, vasovagal shock are some of the most common types of dental emergencies.


What are the symptoms of a tooth infection spreading?

severe toothache that never stops and can radiate to your jawbone, neck, or ear. discomfort in both hot and cold climates. Experiencing discomfort or pain while chewing or biting. Fever. Face, cheek, or neck swelling that could make it difficult to breathe or swallow.



Is exposed pulp a dental emergency?

t's a situation that only a skilled emergency dentist can handle.

If you have an exposed nerve in your tooth, eating, brushing, or even just brushing the tooth with your tongue can cause excruciating pain. I


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