A dental emergency can happen at the most inconvenient time and become a big hassle if not taken care of in short order. Not only is it painful, it may be a sign of an underlying issue that needs to be corrected before it gets out of hand.
Many of our Sydney patients call in for emergency issues. Perhaps they woke up one morning with a massive toothache. Maybe there was some kind of trauma like a fall or biting on something very hard. If you work in or around Sydney’s CBD, you’ll be happy to know that there is an experienced emergency dentist near you who can fix your tooth pain.
In this blog post, Dr Hoffenberg addresses the issue of what to do about sore or swollen gums.
Gum issues can happen because of unhealthy bacteria or bits of food tightly-wedged between the tooth and gum line. If you have swelling anywhere in the body, it’s a sign that something is wrong. If you look at healthy gums, you’ll notice that they are firm and flat along the teeth. Healthy gums have a natural color between light pink to dark purple depending on skin tone.
Puffy gums, on the other hand, look quite red, and may appear like they’re pulling away from your teeth. If this is what you’re seeing, it’s best to call our office and address the cause of those swollen gums. Don’t wait and hope that it will go away by itself. When you come in for your exam, we’ll likely perform some gum inflammation treatment.
If a piece of food has been wedged by the gum line and it comes free (or you can floss it out), you should be able to control the imflammation with good oral hygiene. In addition to brushing, use an antibacterial mouth wash three time a day for relief in a few days.
Depending on what caused the gum issue and the severity of the inflammation, Dr Hoffenberg might simply prescribe an oral rinse or a special brand of toothpaste to help prevent gingivitis and reduce plaque. Infected gums may also need a course of antibiotics to clear everything up.
If you have any kind of dental emergency and would like to schedule an appointment, use the contact form below or call our practice directly.