Lately, Melbourne has been experiencing a wave of chaos due to street rallies taking place, with residents protesting against the extended lockdown period. The reason is that most of the services are on hold, and people are suffering from a lack of services. Residents have been protesting with appeals for the government to bring things back to normal while enforcing the necessary precautionary measures.
How covid 19 has affected dental facilities
One such sector that has been hugely affected during the pandemic-COVID 19 is the health sector, particularly dental facilities. With protective equipment being on high demand in hospitals, dentists are unable to offer normal operations. Dental treatments are being facilitated by dentists only allowed to perform emergency operations. The whole situation narrows down to whether it is better to save a tooth or a life? But, with emergency treatments being on offer, doctors can be able to save both.
Some patients are fending for themselves with home remedies due to the unavailability of routine dental treatments. That is because dentists stopped offering face–to–face appointments limiting them to emergency cases to curb the spread of COVID 19. Lack of such services is partly why there is an upsurge in the number of freedom rallies organised via social media. However, there are emergency dental hubs. Only routine care checks, regular dental check-ups, and treatments are on hold for the time being. Phone consultations over the counter prescriptions such as pain relief and antibiotics are available for less severe cases.
However, if your tooth problem is an urgent case, you should book an emergency dentist appointment. How do you know if your tooth problem is a critical case? You may delay a tooth problem unknowingly and worsen it. Here are some of the emergency dental problems doctors are treating during the pandemic.
A tooth with an excessive abscess
A tooth abscess is a sign of severe dental infection, and treatment should be immediate. It may occur in the form of redness and swelling with abscess around the root or gums. The condition may cause fever and severe pain when eating, and if ignored, it spreads to the next tooth causing further damage. The resulting damage mostly is tooth decay that will require you to remove the tooth, but that is preventable if you treat the problem as an emergency.
Excessive tooth pain and sensitivity
Tooth pain and sensitivity imply you have a cavity, a damaged nerve, or a dental infection. If the sensitivity prevents you from chewing food, it means you are not eating well; therefore, you need emergency dental treatment.
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In some cases, you will experience a swollen face because of the infection, another sign that you need to see the dentist immediately. However, if you take pain relief medication and the pain goes away, you can schedule a dental treatment as soon as possible.
A broken tooth
A broken, chipped, or cracked tooth calls for emergency treatment because it is prone to bacterial infection if unattended. If you break a tooth, the quicker you see the dentist, the more possibilities to treat and reattach the fractured tooth.
Any debilitating tooth pain
Generally, any debilitating tooth pain that prevents you from normally functioning calls for emergency dental treatment.
The bottom line
While dental clinics are waiting for things to go back to normal amidst all the Melbourne chaos and protests, they are only operating on an emergency basis. If you experience a dental emergency, schedule an appointment with an emergency doctor immediately.