There’s nothing exciting about emergency oral surgery.
If you’ve gotten to the point that you need emergency oral surgery, then one of two things has happened. Either you’ve had a significant accident, or you’ve let a small problem get worse and worse until it becomes an emergency.
Today, we’re going to get a little more specific and talk about 5 of the less common reasons why you might need emergency oral surgery. It’s not always car accidents that are at the root of these surgeries, so pay attention and you might be able to avoid traumatizing surgery in the future.
Table of Contents
1. Broken Jaw
Whether you’ve been in a car accident, fallen off of your bicycle, or been punched in the face, having a broken jaw could usher you into emergency surgery really fast. In about half of all broken jaw situations, it breaks in two places, which complicates matters.
When the oral surgeon repairs your jaw, you’ll usually end up with plates and screws holding the bone together. Depending on how severe the break is, you’ll be out of commission for anywhere from 1 to 2 months.
2. Bulimia
Bulimia is a serious illness for a number of reasons, but it can also have really dire effects on your oral health. When your stomach acid is continually washing over your teeth, your enamel will quickly wear down, which is the stuff that protects your teeth.
As the enamel washes away, your teeth will start to look translucent, which will lead to breaks and cracks. You’ll also be more susceptible to bleeding gums and cavities, which can require surgery as well.
3. Abscessed Tooth
An abscessed tooth can be extremely painful and without warning signs, the pain will come on fast and unexpectedly. Anything that comes into contact with the tooth will cause you to recoil, which makes it hard to eat, drink, and speak.
To deal with an abscessed tooth, you’ll need to make an emergency dental appointment and get it drained, pulled, or get a root canal.
4. A Loose Filling/Crown
It’s not always easy to tell when you’ve got a loose filling or crown and they could fall out without you noticing. One big sign is the strong metallic taste of copper/pennies in your mouth.
If you fail to act quickly when a filling falls out, you could end up in emergency dental surgery for a root canal. In a best-case scenario, they’ll be able to replace the crown in a quick, same-day procedure.
5. Bitten Tongue/Lip
It sounds silly, but sometimes you can bite down on your tongue or bottom lip so hard that you need emergency surgery to mend the wound. Sometimes it happens as a result of a physical shock, but it could also happen in your sleep.
If the bleeding is continuous for more than 10-15 minutes, the cut is probably bad enough to require an oral surgeon to mend it.
The Key to Emergency Oral Surgery
The key to maintaining your oral health when any of these occurrences happen is acting fast. There’s no reason that emergency oral surgery won’t get you back to normal, but the longer you wait to get surgery, the more likely it’ll be that you experience lasting issues as a result. Act fast and your mouth will remain healthy.
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