Emergency Dentistry

What is a dental emergency?

There are several types of dental emergencies. Dental emergencies can consist of a sudden and severe toothache, an accident that chips or cracks a tooth, a damaged or loose restoration or a lost or damaged tooth. About 22 percent of people have experienced dental or oral pain in the last six months. To know if your situation is an emergency, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you in severe pain or experiencing severe swelling?
• Do you have a painful toothache that will not subside?
• Do you have a loose or knocked-out tooth?
• Do you have swelling in your cheeks or face in combination with a toothache
• Are you experiencing extreme tooth sensitivity?
• Are you bleeding from the mouth that will not stop?
• Is your jaw injured?

In general, any dental problem that needs immediate treatment to stop bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or save a tooth is considered an emergency. This consideration also applies to severe infections that can be life-threatening and constitute contacting your dental office.

What’s the best way to handle a dental emergency?

• Severe Toothache: If you are experiencing intense pain, rinse your mouth with warm water and gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between your teeth. Avoid putting aspirin directly on your gums or the aching tooth.
• Broken or Knocked-Out Tooth: For a broken tooth, save any pieces you can find. Rinse the mouth using warm water; rinse any broken pieces. If a tooth has been knocked out, try to place the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If that’s not possible, keep it in a glass of milk until you can get to our office.
• Lost Filling or Crown: If a crown comes off, try to slip it back over the tooth, using dental cement, toothpaste, or even a denture adhesive to help hold it in place until you can receive professional treatment.

What is not a dental emergency?

If the problem can be taken care of yourself for a few days without seeing your dentists, it likely isn’t a dental emergency. For example, a chipped or cracked tooth is only an emergency if the fracture is painful or has left you with trauma inside your mouth, or, if you have lost a tooth or filling, you can wait a few days to see your dentist.