A dental emergency is any dental issue that will not wait and the first thing to remember is to remain calm and seek professional assistance promptly! Teeth do not bend easily, but they aren’t indestructible. One day can turn into a really bad day if it ends with a fall, a hard bite, or a hidden infection. Dental emergencies are usually unexpected. They may appear at a soccer game on a weekend or when you are riding in the car with family at night. Hurt teeth are a common occurrence in children and teens during sports and play, and in adults, sudden pain or infection.
If you know what constitutes an emergency, and what to do in the first few minutes, it can make all the difference for your smile. This blog will outline what problems require urgent care, first steps, when tooth pain requires urgent care and when to visit the ER, and what to do if you have a broken tooth, sudden pain, or an infection. It also provides you with some simple tips to reduce your risk.
What is a dental emergency and which issues require immediate attention?
A dental emergency is any dental issue that requires urgent attention to prevent bleeding, alleviate extreme pain or preserve a tooth. They can be a knocked-out tooth, a badly broken tooth, heavy bleeding, or swelling of the face or gums. These problems usually should not wait for a regular checkup appointment.
The Distinction between Urgent Dental Issues and Everyday Dental Concerns
| Urgent Dental Problems | Routine Dental Concerns |
| Knocked-out adult tooth | Small chip with no pain |
| Bleeding that will not stop | Mild bleeding when flossing |
| Severe pain that keeps you awake | Mild sensitivity to cold drinks |
| Swelling in the face or gums | A lost filling with no pain |
| Pus or a fever with tooth pain | Stained or yellow teeth |
| A loose adult tooth after an injury | Food stuck between teeth |
| Broken tooth with sharp pain | An old, worn filling |
Not sure when to see an emergency dentist? If your problem is similar to that in the left column, please call immediately. If it begins to correspond with the column on the right, then it is probably possible to visit regularly, but don’t wait for months.
What to Do First in a Dental Emergency?
Be calm and clear-sighted about the problem. Gently rinse your mouth with warm water. Press clean gauze on to the bleeding area for 10 minutes if bleeding. Apply a cold pack to the swollen cheek. Immediately look for “is there an emergency dentist near me” or contact your dentist and describe the incident in detail.
Common Mistakes That Can Make a Dental Injury Worse
- Application of aspirin on the gums: May burn the soft tissue.
- Avoid using heat: Heat can exacerbate swelling.
- Sniffing around: Sharp objects may be swallowed or could pierce the gums.
- Chewing on the hurt side: this will further crack the tooth.
- Home glue fixes: Avoid using superglues on teeth or crowns.
- Don’t take more pain medicine than prescribed on label:
- Delay: The longer patients wait, the less likely they are to save the tooth.
If you know what to do during a dental emergency, you won’t make these mistakes.
When should you visit the Emergency Room at your Emergency Dentist?
If a problem occurs that may make it difficult to breathe or if the problem impacts your health, head to the emergency room. This includes swelling that extends to your eye, neck or throat; difficulty breathing or swallowing; a high fever and swelling of the face; broken jaw or bleeding that continues for more than 15-20 minutes after it has been pressure treated. The ER first will also be required for anyone with a serious injury to the head or face. ER is a good place to deal with immediate threats, but usually can’t repair teeth. After it is stabilized, a dentist will still need to be seen to take care of the tooth. Don’t try to drive yourself to the hospital if the breathing is affected; call 911. If you don’t know what to do, call your dentist’s office and check the post hours policy; many offices will have this information on their voicemail. Bring a list of medications and allergies with you to the ER, this will aid the treatment team treat you safely.
What to do if a tooth is knocked out, cracked or broken?
If the tooth is knocked out, hold the tooth by the crown, gently rinse with water and try to reinsert the tooth into the tooth socket. If this is not possible, keep in a cup of milk. If the tooth is cracked or broken, pick up any fragments, put a dental wax over the sharp edges and contact your dentist immediately.
The condition of the tooth and surrounding tissues is important and why.
Following injury, your dentist will examine the entire tooth. The root, nerve, gums and bone are all important. The cells on the root of a knocked-out tooth are alive and need to be kept moist to reattach the tooth. A pink or red spot can appear if the crack is extended to the soft center; this can sometimes indicate that the nerve is exposed. The plan may be altered if the gums or bones are damaged. These details are crucial to emergency dental treatment. Those looking for what to do about a knocked-out tooth should inquire about follow-up visits because there are some issues that will come up weeks later.
Why Does Your Tooth Start to Hurt Suddenly or Suddenly Become Very Painful?
When a tooth hurts all of a sudden or extremely hard to bear, there is a problem inside the tooth. Some of the many reasons include grinding your teeth at night, an infection of your gums, a broken filling, deep cavities, and damaged teeth. Sometimes sinus pressure can be associated with tooth pain. An examination by a dentist and X-rays may help determine the cause.
How Cavities, Damaged Fillings, and Inflamed Dental Pulp Affect Oral Health
- Sensitivity: Decay reaches softer layers of teeth.
- Gaps around old fillings allow germs to get beneath the filling.
- The pulp contains nerves and blood vessels and if it swells, it is very painful.
- Persistent pain: When hot or cold does not alleviate pain, it could indicate damage to the pulp.
- Pulsing pain: It is a throbbing pain that indicates infection.
Is severe tooth pain a dental emergency? Yes, often, particularly if pain medications have not been effective. If the pain persists for more than a day or two, it’s a sign that it is time to seek immediate care when it comes to tooth pain.
If you notice swelling, pus, or a bad taste around a tooth, what should you do?
If the area around a tooth is swelling, there is pus or the area is unpleasant tasting, it may be a dental abscess. Rinse very lightly with warm salt water to keep the area clean, DO NOT attempt to pop or squeeze. Call your dentist immediately for a check-up on the same day.
The risks associated with not treating a dental abscess.
- Damage to the bone: Infection can cause the jawbone around the tooth to be eroded.
- Infected tooth: If a tooth is infected it may not be possible to save it.
- False relief: When an infection has destroyed the nerve, but the pain has ended.
- Through contact with surrounding teeth: Germs can get into surrounding teeth and gums.
- Whole-body risk: Sometimes the infection may enter the blood and cause a serious life-threatening infection called ‘sepsis’.
Antibiotics can help fight an infection but rarely provide a solution to the underlying problem. There are many alarming signs you need to visit a dentist immediately. In need of emergency dental treatment? Call LiT Dental in McKinney, TX. We offer emergency appointment scheduling.
Get Immediate Relief with Our Emergency Care!
Dental Emergencies Can’t Wait!
- Immediate Pain Relief
- Same-Day Extractions
- Urgent Dental Treatments
Conclusion
Having knowledge of the things to do when a dental emergency arises is good, but preventing it is always better. In order to help you out with this, stay away from eating candy and ice. As far as sports go, use mouth guards. Finally, try to avoid grinding your teeth with night guards. You should have regular exams, at least every 6 months to help you catch any pain that might be caused by a cavity. It’s also better to address any loose filling sooner rather than later. Don’t put it off if any problems arise until it’s too hard to fix; get professional help as soon as problems appear. At LiT Dental, people of all ages are taken care of, from the first time a child visits us until the day that an adult has a smile makeover. In addition to assistance for dental emergencies, we provide cosmetic dentistry, teeth fillings, tooth whitening, pediatric dentistry and crowns. Whether it’s a damaged tooth or a perfect smile, we take time to ensure your options are clearly explained. For new patients, we will be happy to answer your questions by phone prior to your visit.
