Nobody wants to have a dental emergency, and when you’re experiencing one it can be easy to feel like it’s the end of the world. But believe it or not, matters could always be a lot worse, like they were for these four poor patients from around the world!
Hopefully their stories will help you see that your standard root canal isn’t really that bad.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Have you heard the story of a patient who thought they needed a root canal, but ended up having problems with a different kind of root? They arrived at their dentist’s office in severe pain, thinking they had a tooth or gum infection. Upon closer inspection, their dentist realized that the pain they were feeling was not from something caused by their body, but from a small tomato plant that had sprouted in their gums! You see, the patient had eaten some tomatoes recently, and the seeds got caught below the gum line and started growing! Though this type of thing is rare, the patient did the right thing by visiting their emergency dentist for help.
All Tools Are Not Created Equal
If you’re like some people, you may think “a drill’s a drill,” but in the case of a dental drill, this isn’t true. A man with a cavity found this out the hard way when he tried to use his regular drill to remove cavity in his tooth by himself. Unfortunately, the bit got stuck in his tooth, and he was forced to go to the dentist anyway to have it removed, which he should have just done from the start!
Stuck on You
There’s a reason your dentist tells you to come into the office for a dental emergency instead of trying to correct it yourself. When a woman’s dental crown fell off, she decided to reattach it herself with regular household superglue. Now, knowing how tricky this adhesive is to use, you may not think she’d want to attempt this, but she decided to try gluing the crown back on her tooth herself. Unfortunately, not only did she put the glue on the wrong teeth, but it got everywhere, including all over the inside of her mouth and down her throat!
If you lose a crown, call your dentist for further instructions. If you can’t be seen immediately, there are temporary dental cement kits available to use at home, and while your dentist may not always recommend this, they are much easier to use and not poisonous like superglue!
Take it Outside
Finally, in a scenario that happens more frequently than you’d think, an elderly woman arrived at her dental appointment and stunned her dentist when it was discovered that the woman had not been removing her dentures at all. If you know anything about dentures, you know that they need to be removed to be brushed and flossed after each meal, and they should be taken out overnight every single night to soak. This woman was doing none of that, and as a result her dentures were in bad shape. They were foul smelling, warped, cracked, discolored and extremely dirty. While some minor denture damage can be repaired, when the damage has gotten this bad, they must be completely replaced.
Remember, dental emergencies aren’t usually fun, but like the four people mentioned above, your dentist is here to help you get through them. Hopefully, with a little time you’ll be able to share your own story, even if it’s not as interesting as growing a garden in your teeth!
About Dr. Soltani
Dr. Shauna Soltani strives to ensure that her patients feel comfortable, cared for, and that her treatments enhance their smile and relieve their pain. She is proud to offer emergency dental services including same-day appointments for patients of all ages. Dr. Soltani also has taken additional courses in root canal therapy and even BOTOX for chronic pain.
If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please call Paradise Dentistry at 720-608-7770.
