What To Do In A Dental Emergency

Dental emergencies can strike at any time. Some require more urgency than others, but the bottom line in all cases is to contact your team of dental professionals as soon as possible. 

Getting a Tooth Knocked Out

Whether from sports play, a fall, or an automobile accident, getting a tooth knocked out requires urgent dental intervention. 

Chances to save the natural tooth decreases between 30 to 60 minutes after the injury occurs. Assuming you can find your tooth, you should:

• Contact your dentist immediately
• Hold the tooth only by the crown, (top part of the tooth) and rinse it, using water only
• Don’t wash away any tissue still on the tooth root
• While the best way to preserve your tooth is to hold it into the socket it was knocked from, if this isn’t possible, transport the tooth to your dentist either in a container with your saliva or with some milk 
• Rinse your mouth with warm water
• Apply a cold compress to your face in the injury area
• Head to your dentist’s office

If the tooth can’t be saved, a dental implant, as durable and long lasting as your own tooth, is the best replacement for the missing tooth. 

Your Tooth is Chipped, Cracked, or Broken

Whether you ate a hard piece of food, candy, or chewed on ice, a chipped tooth can usually be fixed with a simple filling; a broken tooth restored with a dental crown. While you need to reach out for an appointment, this is not considered an urgent emergency requiring an immediate visit to your dental office. A lost filling or crown should also be treated in the same way: call your dentist immediately, but there is no need for a visit at the time this injury first occurs. 

Tooth Pain

While you may see no visible sign of trauma, a severe toothache or tooth pain can certainly be a dental emergency. Experiencing pain in your tooth, gums or gum tissue can be extremely painful. You may experience lesser pain or sensitivity to hot or cold prior to having severe symptoms. Call your dental team; the severity of the pain will affect the urgency of seeing your dentist. 

Pain from an impacted wisdom tooth, or an infected tooth, particularly if the gum area is swollen, should be treated as an urgent emergency situation. 

Tooth Abscess

A tooth or gum abscess can be extremely painful. An abscess is essentially a pocket of pus developing at the root of your tooth, causing pain and a bad taste. You may also experience swelling of the gums, or a fever. A throbbing toothache is another sign of abscess trauma. Whether caused by tooth decay that has reached the inner pulp area of your tooth or for another reason, this is also an emergency – abscess should be dealt with quickly; an infection could spread to other areas of your mouth and body.

When Should I Contact My Dentist?

In many of these dental emergencies, you will want to reach out to and see your dentist immediately. However, in other situations, you may only need to contact your dentist and set an appointment time. 

An immediate visit is necessary if you experience:

• Swelling in the mouth or facial area
• Severe pain in any part of your mouth
• Knots or swelling in gums
• Bleeding from the mouth
• Loose tooth

Do You Need Emergency Help?

If you need emergency help, whether urgent or to schedule a timely appointment, reach out to us today. We’re here to handle all your emergency dental needs!