How to Recognize a Dental Emergency After a Root Canal

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Root canals are one of the most common dental procedures, and, for most patients, the treatment is highly successful. However, just as it is after a tooth extraction, it is important to watch for signs that something is wrong with your root canal. Check out these symptoms that should spur you to visit an emergency dentist in Thornton, CO right away for an evaluation.

Severe Pain

Contrary to what a lot of patients suspect, root canals are not a painful experience. You may have some mild discomfort as the tooth heals, but you should not be in severe pain. If you are dealing with intense pain, it could be a sign of infection or an affected dental nerve.

You Spot Tooth Discoloration

If you did not get a crown after the root canal, watch out for signs the tooth is changing color. If blood flow to the tooth is impeded or the root is fractured, this can cause the tooth to change color. In some cases, the tooth can be saved, but you must visit a dentist as quickly as possible.

You See Pus or Drainage

Pus or drainage from the tooth that underwent a root canal can be a sign of infection. You may see yellow or white puss seeping from the gum line around the tooth, for example. This may even occur with pain, swelling, or fever. In any case, be sure to talk to the dentist right away for treatment.

The Tooth Feels Loose

A root canal should stabilize an ailing tooth. Therefore, you should not feel any shifting or movement after a root canal has been done. If your tooth feels loose, be sure to seek advice promptly.

Speak to a Root Canal Specialist in Thornton, CO

If you are experiencing problems with your recent root canal, it is crucial to see a Thornton root canal specialist as soon as possible. Reach out to us at Colorado Root Canal Specialist to schedule an appointment.

Signs You’ve Experienced Dental Trauma

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Dental trauma can be a scary experience, but it’s important to know what signs to look for. While it may not always constitute an emergency, identifying the signs and symptoms of various grades of dental trauma is vital for your overall health. This article will discuss dental trauma and what you should do if you experience it.

The professional team at Colorado Root Canal Specialist of Thornton, CO, is proud to serve the local community with premium dental care services, restoring your teeth’ natural appearance and function so you can continue to enjoy your quality of life.

What is Dental Trauma?

Dental trauma is any injury to the mouth, teeth, or gums. It can range from a chipped tooth to a knocked-out tooth. Some common causes of dental trauma include sports injuries, falls, car accidents, and physical altercations.

What Should I Do When Faced With Dental Trauma?

If you experience dental trauma, seeking professional dental care is paramount. Some signs of dental trauma include:

  • Pain or sensitivity in the affected tooth or teeth
  • Swelling or bleeding in the gums
  • Chips, cracks, or fractures in the teeth

Your Local Root Canal Expert

If the dental trauma has caused nerve damage, you may need to see a root canal specialist. They can assess the damage and provide treatment options such as a root canal or extraction. In any case, acting quickly to prevent further damage and preserve the affected tooth or teeth is essential. You can regain your dental health and return to your daily activities with the proper care. If you are unsure, it is always better to contact a professional.

During your next consultation with the trained team at Colorado Root Canal Specialist of Thornton, CO, you can be sure you receive the proper care and guidance you and your family deserve.

 

What to Include in a Dental Emergency First Kit  

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If you are like most people, you have an emergency first aid kit at home. But do you have a dental emergency first aid kit? If you don’t, you are not alone. But any dentist in Thornton, CO will tell you that a dental emergency first aid kit is needed as well.

What to Include in a Dental Emergency First Aid Kit

First and foremost, you need to have your dentist’s information, such as the phone number in your dental emergency kit. This is because, in an emergency, you don’t want to have to stop and look for this information.

Here is what you need to put together a dental first aid kit for a dental emergency in Thornton, CO.

  • Cotton and cotton balls
  • Painkillers
  • Tooth stopping putty
  • Dental cement
  • Tea bags to control bleeding after surgery, biting your tongue, etc.
  • Toothache drops for relieving tooth pain
  • Salt for a salt rinse to help with wounds
  • Gauze
  • Applicator sticks
  • Stainless steel dental mirror and probe
  • Denture adhesive tape for securing a bridge or cap that has come out
  • Orabase paste to help with a sore mouth or canker sores
  • Clean cloths to use as compresses for bleeding
  • Stimudent plaque removers
  • New toothbrush and floss
  • Latex gloves

On-The-Go Dental Emergency First Aid Kit

In addition to a home dental emergency first aid kit, you also need to have an on-the-go dental first aid kit to help keep you and your family protected if an emergency occurs while you are not at home.

Dental Emergency Tip

It’s a good idea to write up some easy-to-follow instructions for different dental emergency scenarios. It’s easy to get flustered and not be able to think straight when an emergency occurs. So having step-by-step instructions for different dental emergencies can come in handy. Talk with your dentist in Thornton, CO if you need help with this.

IMPORTANT! What to Do if You Knock Out an Adult Tooth?

If you knock out an adult tooth, time is of the essence. Rinse your tooth with cold water and, if possible, put it back into the socket. If you are able to do this within five minutes of knocking out your tooth, you might be able to save it. If your tooth won’t go back into the socket, place it in a clean container of water, milk, or saliva (preferably milk) and contact your emergency dentist immediately. If you get to the dentist within 60 minutes, your tooth has a good chance of surviving if it has been stored properly.

What’s Next?

If you have a root canal emergency in Thornton, CO, please Contact Colorado Root Canal Specialist today. We specialize in root canals, root canal emergencies, and other dental trauma. Our top concern is to help you eliminate any tooth pain you’re having. So if you’re in pain, reach out today and we will help you get everything back to normal.

 

When Is It a Dental Emergency? 5 Signs

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Are you having a dental emergency? Would you know if you were? Some types of dental discomfort can be signs of serious trouble. When a dental emergency occurs, it’s important to see the emergency dentist in Thornton, CO as soon as possible. Knowing the signs of a problem can help you get the dental assistance you need. Below are some of the most common signs of trouble.

1. Terrible Pain

Overall, your teeth should not hurt. If they do hurt, this is a sign of a problem. If you’re having tooth pain, note when the pain is occurring, where, and under what conditions. This is important information that your emergency dentist will need to know when you come in for your appointment. Tooth pain could be a sign of a cavity, an infection, a cracked tooth or more.

2. Chipped, Broken or Missing Tooth

A chipped, broken or missing tooth is a problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. If one of your permanent teeth has fallen out, contact your dentist as soon as possible to get help. If your tooth is chipped or cracked, call your dentist to find out more.

3. Swelling

Swelling on one side of your cheek, on your gums or in your jaw can be a problem. If you’re noticing an unexplained swelling around your mouth or jaw, speak to your dentist as soon as possible, especially if the swelling is accompanied by pain.

4. Canker Sore Isn’t Getting Better

Canker sores typically last for several days, but clear up within a week or so. If you have a persistent canker sore that just won’t go away, talk to your dentist. This could be a sign of an infection somewhere in your mouth, or could be the result of an impacted wisdom tooth.

5. Bleeding

Your teeth shouldn’t bleed. Some bleeding is an indication of gingivitis – which is not a dental emergency – but some bleeding is a sign of an injury that needs to be addressed by the dentist as soon as possible.

If you believe you need to see your dentist for because of a dental trauma in Thornton, CO, call your dentist at Colorado Root Canal Specialist.

3 Reasons a Chipped Tooth Can Be a Big Problem

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After a fall or sudden smack to your tooth with a hard object, you realize you have a chipped tooth. The issue may not appear to be a big problem, but a chipped tooth can actually be a reason to seek emergency dental care in some cases. At the least, a chip in your tooth should lead you to contact the dentist for advice. Here is a look at a few problems that can arise when you have a chipped tooth.

A chipped tooth can lead to an infection.

Even though a chip may look small, the missing enamel could mean that the pulp of your tooth is open to bacteria. In the event this is the case, you could be highly at risk for developing an infection. The pulp of the tooth’s interior is softer and more vulnerable to bacterial accumulation. Further, if your tooth gets infected, you could be at risk for the infection making its way into your bloodstream.

A chipped tooth puts the full structure of your tooth at risk.

What looks like a simple chip looks quite more alarming under a microscope. Tiny, hairline fractures can stem from the chipped point and outward along other parts of the tooth’s structure. Unfortunately, this can mean that a small chip may have the full structure of the tooth at risk. While a root canal and crown can usually save the ailing tooth, many people don’t understand the extent of the damage and end up losing their tooth.

A chipped tooth can lead to severe dental pain.

Some people don’t feel anything immediately when they sustain a chipped tooth, but then severe pain settles in shortly after. This pain occurs because the fractured enamel can open up an access point for air to make its way to the tooth’s nerve. In the most extreme cases, the chipped tooth can actually cause nerve damage, which may lead to the tooth having to be extracted.

Contact a Thornton Emergency Dentist for Advice

Sometimes, the smallest issues with your small can lead to worrisome problems. If you have sustained dental trauma and have a chipped tooth, reach out to us at the Colorado Root Canal Specialist in Thornton, CO for advice.

 

 

signs of dental trauma

Common Symptoms of Dental Trauma

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Dental trauma occurs when something impactful affects the inside of the mouth, lips, teeth, gums, tongue or jawbone. Most often, your dentist in Thornton sees dental trauma after a physical incident, such as a sports injury, vehicle accident, human physical altercation or a fall. Dental trauma can be very serious and should always be attended to by a dentist. However, sometimes dental trauma isn’t obvious. In that case, it can go untreated and quickly develop into something even more serious. Here are some common signs of dental trauma.

Fractures

Following an incident of some kind, a fracture may develop in a tooth or jawbone. Fractures can be so small that they can only be seen with an x-ray. They also vary as to the depth that they occur. Superficial fractures may occur on the surface of the teeth or bone and cause little trouble. But deeper fractures can make the tooth more vulnerable to bacteria, easily breakable and more sensitive to heat or cold. If you suddenly have one or more sensitive teeth after an incident, chances are you may have fractured a tooth. Deep fractures in the jawbone can lead to TMJ and other serious problems, including tooth loss.

Tooth Displacement

Another common symptom of dental trauma may be a loose tooth or a permanent tooth that’s been knocked out of its socket. These are both situations where you’ll need to see a dentist right away. Loose teeth from dental trauma can often be saved by your Thornton dentist, but you need to make an appointment as soon as possible. Even a tooth that’s been knocked out as a small chance of being saved, and if you contact your dentist immediately.

Earache and Vertigo

Patients are often surprised to discover that their sudden painful earache is the result of dental trauma along the jawbone. Anytime the jawbone is injured, the ear may be affected. You may even have vertigo, since the ear is primarily responsible for balance and equilibrium. Don’t ignore an earache or dizziness, especially if it occurs soon after an incident.

Your mouth and jaw are not meant to be hit. Your teeth, especially, are not well-protected against physical trauma. Anytime you experience an incident and suspect dental trauma, contact your dentist for a thorough exam.

 

Recognizing a Dental Emergency with Your Root Canal

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Root canals are one of the most-performed dental procedures. While effective for rescuing a tooth that may otherwise be lost, occasionally, problems can arise after treatment. Here is a look at a few issues that can come up after your procedure that should be handled as an emergency.

You are experiencing severe pain.

It is relatively normal to have some pain after a root canal, but it should be more like mild discomfort that is easily handled with over-the-counter pain relievers. If you feel intense, severe pain once the anesthetic wears off when you get home, it is best to get in touch with the dentist to get their opinion on the situation.

You find the dental canal filling in your food.

If the root canal filling falls out, it is imperative that you get to the dentist as quickly as possible. You may not necessarily have pain, but you may feel sensitivity if the air hits your tooth or if you eat something cold or hot. You can use a temporary filling or some food-grade wax to cover the opening in your tooth. This can help deter sensitivity pain and keep food particles from getting inside the canal.

Your gums swell severely around the root canal site.

You can expect a small amount of inflammation around the tooth that just had a root canal placed. This general inflammation should subside after a few days as the irritated ligaments and tissue go back to normal. If beyond the first few days after your root canal, you are dealing with a major amount of swelling, it is best to get to the dentist. You may have issues with infection around the tooth that needs to be handled so it can properly heal after the procedure. Also, be attentive to anything that looks like pus or infection or small pimples around the tooth as these can also be signs of an infection.

Save Your Tooth with a Root Canal in Thornton, CO

When done by a professional with enough experience, a root canal will rarely ever cause you any issue and can essentially save your tooth from extraction. Reach out to us at Colorado Root Canal Specialist if you think you need a root canal or have issues with an existing root canal.