Brushing and flossing twice daily and visiting your dentist for a routine exam and cleaning every six months can help prevent potential problems, such as cavities or gum disease. However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll never experience a dental emergency.
Contacting your provider right away to let them know what happened and following any care instructions they share over the phone can go a long way towards saving your smile. With that in mind, continue reading to learn about 3 incredibly unusual oral emergencies that might have been avoided if these patients had invested in proper prevention with their dentist!
Emergency #1: Connected By Calculus
Did you know that if plaque forms on your teeth and goes untreated, it can eventually harden into tartar, also known as calculus? Unfortunately, this substance can form across several of your teeth, eventually forming what’s called a calculus bridge. This can cause additional concerns, including chronic bad breath, receding gums, tooth decay, and jawbone degeneration.
Only professional intervention can remove tartar from your teeth, but it’s best not to wait too long to be seen. For instance, one patient finally contacted her dentist to address a stubborn calculus bridge, only for her teeth to fall out once they were cleaned. It turned out that the growth caused sufficient damage to result in permanent tooth loss while simultaneously acting as the only binding holding them in place.
Emergency #2: Sprouting Seeds
When it comes to your teeth, no pain is really considered ‘normal’, and there are several potential causes for a toothache, including chipped or cracked teeth, cavities, gum disease, and infection. A root canal procedure can often be used to remove damaged material, address underlying issues, and provide much-needed relief.
For example, one man with a nagging toothache was told he needed a root canal to improve his condition. But when his dentist started the procedure, it was discovered that tomato seeds had become lodged in his teeth and had begun to sprout.
Emergency #3: Dental Drilling
Although many dentists offer evening and weekend hours to accommodate your unique schedule, if you develop a toothache or other issue when the office is closed, you might have to wait an evening or two before you can reach out for an appointment.
If you’re impatient, you might feel tempted to fix the problem yourself at home, like one patient tried to do, but this isn’t usually recommended. Instead of waiting to see his provider to address his concern, this man opted to drill into his teeth with his own tools, which became lodged in his enamel and required emergency assistance to remove.
Regardless of the type of dental emergency, it’s best to contact your provider for an appointment as soon as possible so they can identify the root cause and the severity of any damage to devise a customized treatment plan.
Meet the Author
Dr. Aliana Henkin has about 20 years of experience helping families build and maintain the happiest, healthiest versions of their smiles. She graduated from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and has since completed advanced courses in various topics. Today, she offers a complete menu of services, including emergency care, and uses advanced technology for more comfortable, accurate results. She offers evening and Saturday appointments so you don’t have to wait long for help if you’re hurting. You can request an appointment on the website or call (732) 638-0600.