We don’t yet have a dentist in this area. We’ve been busy relocating and haven’t had the time. My husband recently complained about an injury to his gums that is swollen. He can’t remember when he did it or what happened, but it looks to me like it resembles a giant swollen pimple. Of course, I know we don’t get pimples on our gums so it must be inflamed from an injury. Will this go away on its own or does he need an emergency dental appointment?
Karen
Dear Karen,
Relocation is stressful, so I completely understand you not getting to finding a new dentist. However, what you described on your husban’s gums doesn’t sound like a gum injury. Instead, I think he has an abscessed tooth. This manifests in what looks like a pimple on the gums.
This is considered a dental emergency, so he will need to see a dentist right away. It means his tooth is infected. These infections can blow up quickly and become life-threatening.
I know you don’t have a dentist right now, but there are dentists who will treat non-established patients in cases of emergencies like yours. You can do an internet search using the term “emergency dentist“.
It’s Important He Doesn’t Put This Off
The tendency for men is to “tough it out” and hope it goes away. This won’t go away. Eventually, the tooth may stop hurting, but that is because the pulp of the tooth will die, That won’t stop the infection from spreading though.
It’s always better to take care of these things sooner rather than later. Better a root canal treatment and dental crown than to need a tooth extraction and replacement.
If the Tooth Can’t be Saved
There’s always a chance, depending on how long this has gone that the tooth can’t be saved. In that case, you’ll need to look at tooth replacement options.
Two of the best are to get a dental implant or a dental bridge. A dental implant is the better treatment, but it is more costly than the bridge.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.
