Suppose you were to wake up with a toothache in the middle of the night – what would you do? For the majority of people, this rather ominous sign would indicate that they need to contact an emergency dental team either at that moment or first thing in the morning.
But if you are somebody who is less than eager to attend a dental appointment, you may already be thinking of ways that you can resolve this dental pain by yourself. As you can imagine, this is not ideal and even if you were to purchase an over-the-counter filling kit, this is not designed to be a permanent solution to a dental issue.
With the rise in DIY dentistry occurring the world over, it is worth noting that there are many things that you can do in a dental emergency that can make the situation a lot worse and a dentist Ryde discusses some of the key ones here.
Not seeking help
The most obvious thing you can do that will make a dental emergency worse is simply not seek help. This can be tricky, as some dental emergencies are not necessarily uncomfortable and thus do not prompt a quick response to seek dental care. But it’s worth noting that if you have dental pain that is causing you to stay awake, or is stopping you from eating, you cannot simply pretend it’s not there or take pain relief to mask the discomfort long term. If you have a toothache, a missing filling or crown, a dental bleed or swelling to your face, all of these will require a same-day emergency dental appointment and you should only attempt to temporarily resolve the problem yourself.
Trying to treat it yourself
Many people believe that you can treat dental issues such as abscesses at home. While there are options to resolve the discomfort temporarily, such as the application of clove oil or the taking of pain relief, this is not a permanent solution. If you have an oral abscess, you need to see an emergency dental team to receive antibiotics and either a root canal or an extraction long term. Even those who are trained in dental care should not be attempting to treat a dental emergency themselves, as this can cause the situation to worsen.
The wrong pain relief
There are even complications surrounding pain relief depending on the type of dental emergency you have. Suppose you have a bleed that is coming from your mouth, but there is also an injury which is causing discomfort so over-the-counter pain relief will need to be taken. If this is the case, there are some over-the-counter medications that can cause the blood to become thinner and can worsen the bleeding. If you have a dental bleed you obviously need to seek emergency treatment if it is not stemming, but you should avoid taking ibuprofen or aspirin.
Misinforming the dental team
Many people do not tell the unvarnished truth to dental teams, especially when it comes to dental emergencies, but this can cause issues with the diagnostics. If you have had a strange lump in your mouth for a few months, there is no point in saying it simply sprung up overnight as this can cause your dental team to misdiagnose it. If your dental abscess began to hurt 2 weeks ago, then simply inform your team.
DISCLAIMER
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
