Reliable Dental Care When You Need It
Orthodontic dental care is usually needed to fix underlying dental problems that have been there for a while. However, in some situations, dental emergencies can lead to problems that require emergency orthodontic care. In such a case, finding the right dental care is important. At Dougherty Orthodontics, we offer the best dental care you can rely on when you are faced with an orthodontic emergency.
Major Orthodontic Emergencies
While serious orthodontic emergencies are rare, they can occur. Moreover, when they do, immediate medical attention is required to fix the problem – which in some cases can turn fatal if it is serious. Some good examples of major orthodontic emergencies include:
- Injury to the mouth. Oral injuries are the most common type of orthodontic emergencies. An injury to the mouth can result in broken or fractured teeth or broken jaw, conditions that can be extremely painful. Urgent orthodontic care can help to treat the problem and prevent it from becoming worse – for example, urgent care can help to save your teeth or fix jaw fractures before they can cause considerable damage to your mouth structure.
- Severe pain and discomfort in the mouth. Tooth and gum pain are common dental problems that might be caused by some reasons. However, regardless of the cause, the pain, swelling, and discomfort can be symptoms of an orthodontic problem. Seeking urgent dental care can help to properly diagnose the problem, thus allowing timely treatment.
Sometimes, orthodontic emergencies can be a result of problems arising from orthodontic appliances. In these cases, the emergencies are usually minor. Nonetheless, they can cause of pain and discomfort. Leaving the emergencies unattended can also lead to serious problems, and thus seeking urgent orthodontic care is vital.
Examples of emergencies relating to orthodontic appliances include:
- Pain, swelling, and discomfort caused by wearing braces, aligners, or retainers. When wearing orthodontic appliances for the first time, it is possible to experience some discomfort or tenderness around the gums, but the problem usually dissipates after a few days. However, the discomfort can persist, or even become worse leading to pain and swelling in which case, seeking urgent dental care is vital.
- Injuries to the mouth caused by orthodontic appliances. Orthodontic appliances, especially those containing metal parts can cause injuries to your gums, tongue, lips, and cheeks. Regardless of how small the injury is, seeking immediate dental care is advisable to prevent the problem from worsening.
- Loose braces or broken braces. Braces are durable, but they can become loose, or even worse, break (especially ceramic or plastic braces). This can cause injuries to your mouth leading to other dental problems. Loose or broken braces will also stop functioning properly. Therefore, you should seek immediate orthodontic care to fix the problem.
- Loose teeth, fractured or broken teeth. While orthodontic appliances are designed to treat dental problems, they can lead to additional ones such as loose teeth, fractured teeth, broken teeth, etc. This can be as a result of too much force being applied to the teeth, the effects of trauma to the mouth, or malfunctioning of the appliance. Seeking immediate attention is important so as to help fix the problem and resume proper treatment.
Orthodontic emergencies can occur at any time, and whether major or minor, leaving them unattended can lead to a serious problem. If you are in need of emergency orthodontic care, we, at Dougherty Orthodontics can help. Call us right away at (818) 986-622