Dental emergencies are an unfortunate fact of life. You're eating something crunchy, and suddenly a tooth cracks or you wake up in the morning with swelling and pain in your jaw. Many people head straight to the emergency room when they have tooth pain. The problem is that this is inefficient and usually not very helpful.
Common Dental Emergencies
What are the most common reasons that people need emergency dental care?
Sudden tooth pain – Significant tooth pain with no apparent cause results in many emergency dental visits. You should never ignore tooth pain because it is usually a symptom of many serious dental conditions, including:
- Deep cavities
- Advanced gum disease
- Abscessed or infected teeth
- Exposed tooth roots
- Impacted wisdom teeth
We can treat these conditions promptly to prevent further damage to the tooth and keep the infection from spreading.
Chipped or fractured teeth – Chipped or broken teeth can be caused by sudden mouth trauma or simply biting down on a hard object. Sometimes this happens because you had a cavity and didn't know it, and the internal structure has been weakened. If possible, keep the broken piece of the tooth and bring it with you to your appointment.
Lost teeth – Whether your tooth was knocked out due to an injury or you lost a tooth for no apparent reason, losing a tooth is a critical dental emergency. In some cases, we can replace the tooth if we get to it quickly, but we may have to replace the tooth with a dental implant or a bridge.
Our chances of saving the tooth are best if you retrieve the tooth and quickly rinse it with lukewarm water, avoiding the root area. Try to replace the tooth in the socket, but don't force it. If you can't replace the tooth, keep it in a glass of milk or saliva. Call our office immediately.
Other Dental Emergencies
Some other problems that require prompt emergency dental treatment include:
- A tooth is dislodged but not completely knocked out
- Something is stuck between your teeth that you can't remove with brushing or dental floss.
- A filling or crown has fallen out
- You are experiencing a dental abscess
- You have injured your gums or palate
Call our office for an appointment for any dental emergency.
