Dental emergencies can cause excruciating pain, agony, and swelling and potentially signal more serious issues. What constitutes a dental emergency, though? When should you get immediate dental care for an emergency, and when can you wait until your next appointment?
As a dentist at an emergency dental clinic in Toronto says, understanding the distinction between a small dental issue that might wait until the following day and a catastrophic emergency that could endanger your health is critical. You should know important factors to spot dental problems that need prompt attention.
Why Do Dental Emergencies Occur?
About 22% of individuals said they had experienced mouth pain six months prior, demonstrating how often dental emergencies can be.
But there are only a few occasions when dental emergencies require a different approach. By examining your answers to the following inquiries, you can decide whether or not you can wait until your next dental appointment:
- Do you frequently feel pain? An emergency is indicated by severe pain and bleeding.
- Has a tooth been chipped or broken? A tooth may be saved with quick dental care.
- Do you lack a tooth in your mouth? Teeth should never be taken from adults. A loose tooth is a severe issue whether or not it is uncomfortable.
- Do you have any illnesses? You should get medical attention immediately if you develop an abscess or a severe oral infection since they may be fatal.
- Do you experience mouth bleeding? This situation can indicate that anything is wrong.
You need emergency dental care immediately if you want to stop bleeding, relieve excruciating pain, or save a tooth. Serious illnesses that put lives in jeopardy are subject to the same rule.
Typical Dental Emergencies
An irrational toothache
You would benefit from not ignoring toothaches because they are unpleasant inconveniences. They work to alert you to a tooth problem by way of your body. Consult a trained emergency dentist for guidance if you suddenly feel excruciating, illogical tooth pain so they can help you identify and address the problem.
Exposed Nerves
Your unpleasant, exposed nerves could get worse if you avoid the dentist. Seek prompt dental care as soon as you can to avoid infections, more nerve damage, or the need for more difficult emergency dental procedures.
Knocked out Tooth
A tooth suddenly ejected from your mouth due to a strong impact might be frightening. However, the moment to take action is now. According to the American Association of Endodontists, acting might enable your dentist to reinsert and save your tooth.
Missing Filling
Another potential dental emergency is a missing filling since a tooth without one is more prone to breaking or chipping. If the tooth’s nerves become visible, various serious dental problems could need prompt attention. Make a quick call to your dentist.
Broken Crown
When a dental crown breaks or completely falls off, your tooth becomes exposed and vulnerable to infection and damage. Making an emergency dentist appointment to repair the crown may help you avoid needing a root canal, an extraction, or another dental procedure.
Abscessed Tooth
A dental abscess is a serious and perhaps fatal illness brought on by an infection that has spread from a pus-filled pocket in the tooth. Your jaw, surrounding tissue, and other body parts could become infected, so you must get treatment immediately.
