Dental emergencies, by their very nature, are unpredictable. But they tend to involve the same small set of issues, such as toothaches, broken or knocked out teeth, infection, and maybe something being stuck, which are all situations that dentists have seen and solved countless times. But THESE dental emergencies, they are far from routine, and just reading about them will probably make you brush your teeth a little bit longer tonight.
Home Gardening
While he wasn’t thrilled about needing a root canal, the patient looked forward to getting over the nagging pain in his teeth and gums that had been bothering him for weeks. Like normal, his dentist numbed him up, opened the tooth, and found—a sprouting tomato plant! Turns out the patient somehow got the seed stuck, and just like plants you see in the city growing through concrete, life finds a way!
DIY Part 1
You can learn to do just about anything thanks to the internet, right? YouTube and TikTok have brought us a whole new generation of do-it-yourselfers, which is why when one woman had a crown fall out, instead of calling her dentist, she reached for the superglue. This is going exactly where you think it is—she ended up gluing her teeth together, meaning when she finally got professional help, it probably wasn’t easy to explain what happened.
Give It a Rest
Today’s dentures are more comfortable and look much more natural compared to the bulky prosthetics you might have seen your grandparents wear. In fact, they fit so well that many can forget when they have their teeth in! One woman came to her dentist complaining of pain and persistently foul breath, and it was quickly discovered that she hadn’t taken her dentures out in months. Ideally, a person should remove them for daily cleaning and sleep with them soaking, so needless to say, they were a tad dirty.
DIY Part 2
A patient with a toothache decided to cut out the middleman and drill his own tooth. Unfortunately, he quickly discovered the reason why dentists use their own special instruments and not ones you can pick up at Home Depot. Of all the terrible things that could have happened, he just got the drill bit stuck in his tooth, and this FINALLY prompted him to reach out for help.
The lesson from all of these scenarios is pretty clear—call your dentist as soon as you think something is wrong with your mouth, and DON’T try to do any dental work on your own. Dentists go to school for several years and complete residencies to learn how to deal with these issues, so needless to say, you probably aren’t ready after a two-minute video!
About the Practice
Dr. Krysten Jackson and Dr. Eric Parsons are husband-and-wife emergency dentists who graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. Dr. Jackson completed an elite Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency there, and Dr. Parsons is constantly training to use the latest technology to deliver the most comfortable and effective treatment possible.
If you’re dealing with dental pain or a severely damaged tooth, you can schedule an emergency appointment right away by calling (405) 262-6737. On top of fixing your teeth, this will save you from ending up on a list like this!