Unfortunately dental emergencies in Dublin can and do occur, and usually at the most inconvenient times possible. Sometimes it is simply unavoidable, but often a dental emergency can be averted through preventative dental care. Most people will need to visit their dentist in Dublin every six months, and it is recommended that you have a hygiene appointment at the same time.
The Argument for Regular Preventative Dental Care Appointments
The reason for doing so is that your dentist in Dublin will be able to detect any small signs of lesions or pits in your tooth enamel that could be the beginnings of a cavity. At this stage it might be able to halt the decay through the application of fluoride to help harden the tooth, or alternatively you might need a small filling.
This early on there may be very few, if any symptoms. You might notice the tooth feels more sensitive to hot and colds foods, but this is a sign that is very easy to ignore. If the decay were left to continue then it would eventually reach the centre of your tooth that contains all the nerves. By this stage things are likely to have become much more painful, and treatment is likely to be more invasive and a lot costlier, as you may need root canal treatment and to have the tooth restored with a crown.
Your dentist in Dublin will also be assessing the health of your gums. Advanced gum disease (periodontal disease) is the major cause of tooth loss in the world, and the early symptoms are all too easy to miss or just ignore. If you have ever noticed your gums bleed when you brush or floss then you might have tried to fool yourself that this is normal. It isn’t, and is an early sign that your gums need professional attention. Gum disease is a bacterial infection that causes the gum tissues to become inflamed as the body tries to fight back. This inflammation can destroy not only the gum tissue, but also the ligaments that support the teeth, and the bone around the teeth.
The early stages of gum disease are called gingivitis and are really simple to treat. Our hygienist will thoroughly clean your teeth and gums, removing much of the bacterial infection. The next part is down to you, as you will be given lots of advice on how to care for your teeth and gums at home. Great home dental care is essential to get rid of this condition.
Dealing with Accidental Tooth Loss
Regular preventative dental care can help lessen the risk of toothache and ultimately tooth loss, but if you do have an accident that knocks out a tooth then quick action could save it. Store the tooth in a little milk, and find a dentist as soon as you can. Reinsertion can be successful if carried out within the first half hour to an hour. This window of opportunity is pretty small, but it is worth trying. If reinsertion fails then you could opt for dental implants in Dublin, as these provide a long-lasting means of tooth replacement.