Blog

Common Dental Emergencies & What to Do About Them

Nobody ever wants to experience an emergency of any kind, and dental emergencies can be particularly concerning and confusing. What’s the right thing to do? What shouldn’t you do? Don’t worry, our dental office in Douglasville is here to help.

Different Emergencies Require Different Care

Not all dental emergencies should be handled the same way, so we’ve outlined some of the most common emergencies and what you can do if they happen to you or a family member. No matter what type of emergency you have, a good rule of thumb is to call your Douglasville dentist as soon as you can.

Chipped or Broken Tooth – First, rinse the mouth and any broken pieces you happen to find with warm water. If there’s blood involved, apply gauze and a bit of pressure to help stop it. Swelling and pain can be reduced with a cold compress.

Knocked Out Tooth – The key to saving a knocked out tooth is to find it as quickly as possible. Once you do, make sure to only touch the tooth crown, not the roots. You can then try to replace the tooth into the socket. If that’s not working, place the tooth in a glass of milk and get to a dentist. Your tooth has the best chance of survival if it’s returned to the socket within an hour.

Toothache – A toothache is typically a sign of a bigger problem and shouldn’t be ignored. Get to your dentist as soon as you can. In the meantime, relieve pain with a cold compress and some medicine. A quick rinse with warm salt water can help too. Whatever you do, do NOT place aspirin directly on the gums as it can cause tissue damage.

Lost Filling – If a filling falls out, it may cause pain because essentially there’s now a hole in your tooth. While you’re waiting to get to the dentist you can buy dental cement at most drugstores that can fill the space. If that’s not an option, a piece of sugarless gum is a short-term fix. Do NOT use gum with sugar as that will increase the pain

At our Douglasville dental office, we’re in the business of keeping smiles healthy, and we never want one of our patients to have a dental emergency. But the truth is, emergencies happen. When they do, we welcome you to call our office for help.

Accepting patients from Douglasville, Lithia Springs, Villa Rica

How to Become a Dentist

At our Douglasville dental office, we love what we do and we find our jobs rewarding. We get to help our patients’ mouths stay healthy, which can directly affect their overall well being, and we even get to see some dramatic smile transformations and change lives. We’d go as far as to say it’s the best job in the world. But how do you know if a career in dentistry could be right for you? Let’s take a glimpse at how you become a dentist and what your job could look like.

What Does a Dentist Do?

You’ve been to a dentist before (or at least we hope!), so you have a basic understanding of what a dentist does. But depending on your own dental experiences, you may not know that a dentist can do a whole lot more than your routine dental exams, x-rays, and sometimes cleanings.

Dentists are responsible for diagnosing problems, developing treatment plans, and treating conditions that affect oral health. They not only look at the health of teeth, but also the gums and the mouth as a whole. Depending on the needs of their patients, dentists’ duties can include removing decayed sections of teeth and replacing them with fillings, eliminating damaged tooth roots and placing a dental crown, and even extracting teeth. They’re a key component to anyone’s medical team and their work is a unique blend of art and science.

Steps to Becoming a Dentist

• Get a Bachelor’s Degree. Most dental schools require a 4 year Bachelor’s degree before admitting students into their doctorate programs. Try to take some classes in biology, chemistry, and other sciences during undergraduate school.
• Pass the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). This exam tests a scholar’s aptitude and knowledge of the sciences. A minimum score is needed to gain entrance into dental school.
• Earn a Dental Degree. In dental school, students will traditionally focus on coursework their first two years, and gain some clinical experience during the final two years.
• Obtain State Licensure. Licensure requirements vary depending on the state you’d like to practice in, but all states require that dentists-to-be pass the National Board of Dental Examinations.

Does the Country Need More Dentists?

If you think dentistry may be the career for you, we have good news. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected job growth for dentists is around 18% through 2024, which is more than double the average growth for other occupations.

At our dental office in Douglasville, we encourage anyone exploring a career in dentistry to perform their own research to see if it sounds like something they’ll enjoy doing.

Accepting new patients from Douglasville, Lithia Springs, Villa Rica.