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All Posts in Category: Dental Emergencies

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Dental Emergencies During Covid-19

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The coronavirus outbreak is changing everything. A lot of aspects of life are being affected, mostly on the negative side. Social patterns have been affected the most, with the worry over the economic impact still looming overhead. Even though the medical aspect was not as severely affected, it seems that only a dental emergency is worthy of scheduling an appointment with your dentist.

Generally, our patients are used to visiting our dental clinic on scheduled appointments, but at the moment, routine care has to be put on hold. According to the American Dental Association and the CDC, oral offices should hold on non-urgent surgeries and appointments that don’t require immediate attention. If the covid-19 caught you off-guard and you had not yet gone in for a routine check-up, it seems that you will have to wait for a few weeks, or maybe more. This move is an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The primary reason you are not allowed to visit your dentist regularly is based on covid-19. How so, you ask? Coronavirus, the virus responsible for spreading covid-19 is spread through respiratory droplets. Whenever you sneeze or cough, these droplets fly through the air, and should someone breathe them in, the individual can get sick.

Furthermore, the disease causing virus is also present in the saliva and mucus in your throat and mouth. On a typical day, your oral care provider and their tools will come into contact with these fluids. There is a high chance of these tools spraying the droplets around.

Even though dental offices are medical spaces, not all of them are designed for high levels of protection. Most Long Island oral clinics lack:

i. Enough N95 face masks

ii. Isolation rooms

iii. Individual rooms for clients

Furthermore, by skipping routine treatments, the dentists can focus on emergency dental care. This reduces the workload for the health workers at the hospitals since they only have to deal with covid-19 patients and acute treatments. More so, they will be reduced the use of personal protective equipment. As the epidemic continues to rage on, health care workers are running short on PPE’s.

Elective procedures, cosmetic dental procedures, or non-urgent treatments are dental procedures that will not affect your health immediately if not fixed as scheduled. Therefore, you can reschedule them as far off as possible. Examples of elective oral procedures provided in New York include:

• fixing cosmetic issues

• X-rays

• Check-ups for braces

• teeth whitening

• teeth examinations and cleaning

• minor treatment like tooth removal and fixing cavities

Visiting oral clinics is not entirely restricted, so you can still see your 3V Dental dentist for severe problems. According to the ADA, emergency treatment is a life-threatening situation that requires immediate treatment. The dentists get to decide what defines emergencies. Most urgent cases reported in New York involve:

• if parts around and in the mouth are swollen, e.g. neck, gums, face

• you need relief from severe pain

• signs of infection

• broken teeth that are painful and have caused tissue damage

• the tissue in need of biopsy

• cancer-related dentist work

• painful braces

• dentures that do not function right

• a broken or lost temporary crown

• post-surgery care you are unable to do alone

Make sure to call or contact our Port Washington office first to confirm what is covered. Visit a hospital or an emergency care centre if the dentists can’t see you. Nonetheless, there is no need to go into the ER as the first resort.it is critical to differentiate between mild oral discomfort that can wait and emergencies that are a threat to your health.

According to recent statistics, about 23% of the population has experienced oral or dental pain the past half-year. This is an indication of how common oral emergencies crop up. Nonetheless, not every dental discomfort is an emergency. Oral emergencies involve the need for saving a tooth, pain relief, stop bleeding, and treat an infection.

Since the coronavirus outbreak, you are at risk of contracting covid-19 every time you leave your house. Health care providers are expected to adhere to health guidelines and regulations, and your dentist’s office is no exception. Most oral clinics in Long Island are taking extra steps that might help to curb the spread of covid-19. For instance:

• individuals working at the dental office should ensure always to wear protective gear

• ensure to disinfect tools and contact surfaces constantly

• clean and cover tools between uses, and safely dispose and replace necessary tools and equipment

• everyone should cover their mouths with rubber dental dams

• furthermore, the clinic should space appointments and schedule them appropriately to avoid overcrowding

• they should ensure to take the patient’s temperature and ask about recent travel schedules

If an emergency visit to your oral service provider can’t be avoided:

• ensure to use personal protective equipment

• stay six feet apart from other patients

• If you require follow-up appointments, discuss with your oral caregiver to create a custom treatment plan.

During an epidemic, it is better to keep safe in every way possible. Even though you cannot have routine dental check-ups, it does not mean that you cannot practice common oral hygiene to prevent the need for immediate medical attention. Standard practices to carry out without the dentist’s help include

• Paying attention to your oral health- check for signs of oral disease, or infection

• Be proactive- brush your teeth, floss and eat the right food

• During sports activities, ensure you wear a mouthguard. This way, your teeth will not be broken, knocked out, or chipped.

• do not chew on hard food that may fracture your teeth

• Before travelling for indeterminate periods or extended vacations, ensure you get a routine check-up. Your oral care provider will ensure that you do not have decay, loose teeth or crowns, and any infections.

• if you are experiencing any discomfort, they will check for the cause and give you proper treatment

Nonetheless, it is almost impossible to avoid an oral-related emergency, so it is better to be prepared. A small dental kit would come in handy at such a moment. It should include:

• Acetaminophen (ibuprofen and aspirin should not be used since they act as blood thinners. Thus they will cause excessive bleeding)

• Handkerchief.

• gauze

• the name and phone number of your oral care provider

If you believe you are experiencing a dental emergency, or have questions as to what might be a dental emergency, contact our office and we would be happy to assist.

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A Guide To Common Dental Emergencies

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You could deal with a dental emergency at any time, but you need to know what to do when it happens. If a dental emergency should arise, contact 3V Dental immediately. We provide immediate dental emergency service in Port Washington and surrounding local Long Island communities. Some emergencies are worse than others, and that is why you should use these tips to protect yourself before you get to the doctor.

Respond To The Emergency First

You should call your dentist when you experience a dental emergency, but you also need to deal with the emergency as it is happening. You can provide yourself with immediate care that will make the pain and discomfort easier to manage, and you can even wait for the dentist to open the next day when needed.

When responding to your emergency situations, you should try to ice the area, pack the area with gauze or tissue, flush your mouth with water, and try not to irritate the area. You can take over-the-counter pain medication for some quick relief, and you should try to rest.

Follow Your Dentist’s Orders

When you call or contact the 3V Dental office, our team can provide immediate instructions. We will do our best fit you into our schedule. If you have an after hours dental emergency, we will advise on the best pat forward depending on the situation.

Common Dental Emergencies

These common dental emergencies happen every day, and many of them do not require immediate care. You can see the dentist the next day or that week when you have time for an office visit:

  • Broken tooth
  • Broken crown
  • Loose filling
  • Lost or loose veneer
  • Broken bridge
  • Cracked dentures
  • Abscesses
  • Intense toothaches
  • Lockjaw

If you have broken a tooth or a crown, you can wait until you see the dentist to get treatment. You should make certain to flush your mouth with water and pack the area with gauze if it is bleeding. Otherwise, you should try to eat on the other side of your mouth. If you have lost a tooth, you can pack the area with gauze until you see the dentist, and you can remove your dentures to prevent further cracks. IF you lose a veneer or it is loose, you should try to peel it away carefully. If it does not move, you need to come to the office immediately.

Intense toothaches, abscesses, and lockjaw should be treated right away. You can ask the office for a time to come in, and they might fit you into their schedule that same day. Broken bridges might present a problem if you can feel the appliance moving in your mouth. Ask when you can be seen so that you do not need to eat around the bridge or try to remove any broken pieces.

Calming Children Who Have Dental Emergencies

There are times when your children need attention because they have a broken tooth or their mouth is bleeding. You can use these tips to help your kids when they are scared and their mouth is bleeding. You should have their wash out their mouth, and you can help them pack the bleeding area with a tissue. Kids do not need to come to the office if they have lost a tooth, and you can tell them about how you lost your teeth when you were a kid.

If your child has broken a baby tooth, they can have it repaired in the office. These teeth will eventually fall out, but the office can help your kids have a normal smile until that happens. If something happens to your child’s permanent teeth while they are still young, you can work with the office to schedule a cosmetic procedure when the child is old enough.

You can use children’s medication to help them relax if they feel any discomfort. This might be the easiest way to help them calm down after a traumatic experience.

What Do You Do If You Are Out Of Town and Not Close to Our Port Washington Dental Office?

When you are out of town, you can call the phone number on the back of your insurance card to get information on local dental offices. In some cases, the nurse line or concierge service can call the office for you. If not, you can call the office, tell them why you are in town, what the problem is, and ask for help. This is the best way to get the care you need because you should not try to travel home while experiencing any serious pain or discomfort.

If you must go to an office in a city you have never visited, you should ask the office for directions. They can tell you the best way to get there, and you might want to use a ride-sharing service to get there. Ask the office to give you a treatment that will help you get home. They can send your records to your regular dental office back home, and you can follow up with the people you know when your trip is over.

If you are in a foreign country, you should contact their national health service. Most developed nations have a national system that provides medical care to the public. You can reach out to their system for help, and they can refer you to someone who can see you the same day. You should be prepared to pay their out-of-network costs, but many of these systems keep their costs very low.

Some Emergencies Are Symptoms Of Other Dental or Oral Conditions

You may notice that your teeth hurt or your mouth feels odd because you are getting sick. You should consider the other medical conditions that you might be dealing with before calling an emergency hotline. There is quite a big difference between someone who has a chipped tooth or a broken filling and someone who is simply getting the flu or a head cold. You can use over-the-counter medication to handle most of these symptoms, and you can call the dental office only when you think the situation is not getting any better.

Nothing feels worse than spending money on a visit that you did not need. You do not want to turn your life upside down unless you know that you have a major problem.

Conclusion

You need to seek medical attention the moment you realize you have a problem with your teeth. You can go to the office that you visit twice a year, or you can call your insurance company to find an office that is near your location. Try to take a deep breath, wash your mouth out with water, and pack the bleeding area with gauze. You can take over-the-counter medications for the pain, and you can call the office for assistance. You can get on the schedule that day, or you can wait until the next day if the problem is not serious. You can take the same approach when you are out of town or offering your children some relief.

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