What Is Considered a Dental Emergency?

Protect your smile before an emergency occurs. Learn what conditions require prompt dental care, and discover what to do if you need urgent treatment. When you have a dental emergency in Bellbrook, Seva Dental can help you preserve your smile. 

What Constitutes a Dental Emergency? 

You wake up in the middle of the night with a wisdom tooth pain that keeps you from sleeping. Is that an emergency? Is a split, bleeding lip a dental emergency? Does a missing crown require care right away? 

All the above situations require immediate attention, but are they true emergencies? What is considered to be a dental emergency? 

If you have a serious concern about your teeth that you want examined at once, call your dentist and tell them about your problem. They will tell you how quickly you need treatment and where to go for care. Some issues can wait for a dental appointment the next day instead of requiring immediate attention.  

Checklist for Determining What Is a Dental Emergency 

Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you need urgent care. 

1. Do you have severe tooth pain or an abscessed tooth? 
2. Do you have serious bleeding in your mouth from your gums, tongue, lips, or tissues?
3. Did you recently have dental surgery and have swelling or redness near the site or a fever? 
4. Did you dislodge a blood clot after a dental extraction? 
5. Do you have a loose or dislodged permanent tooth? 
6. Did one of your teeth break or fall out?  
7. Do you have dental restoration work, such as a crown or bridge, that broke or fell out

If you answer "yes" to one or more of the following questions, call your dentist at once for advice on the next steps to take.  

What Are Examples of Dental Emergencies? 

So, what counts as a dental emergency? Any concern that requires urgent care to stop severe pain, save a tooth, or prevent serious complications is an emergency. Severe pain, knocked-out teeth, loose teeth, surgery complications, or other dental injuries fall into this category of conditions requiring immediate care. 

Does a Cavity Require Emergency Dental Care? 

Is a cavity a dental emergency? Often, the answer is no. Cavities hurt, but should not cause severe pain.

If you have minor to moderate pain from a cavity, see your dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime, take ibuprofen, rinse with salt water, and use cold compresses to ease the pain. 

If your pain intensifies, it might indicate something beyond a cavity, requiring immediate attention. Contact your dentist. You may be directed to visit the office or a 24-hour emergency dentist, depending on the time and day.

What to Do When You Experience a Dental Emergency 

When you have a dental problem, should you search for the nearest hospital emergency route or see your dentist? What should you do if your dentist is closed? Should you wait until the next business day to get treatment for your dental problem? 

These common questions about dental emergencies may pass through your mind if you or a family member loses a tooth or has severe pain. How you respond to dental emergencies matters. 

Should I Go to a Hospital ER for Emergency Dental Care? 

Hospitals have doctors on staff who can address broken jaw bones or injuries to the tissues of the mouth. For dental problems, they can only give you pain relievers and antibiotics and recommend that you see your dentist. Emergency rooms don't have dentists available who can repair tooth problems. 

Instead of an ER, call your dentist to find out more about their emergency care policies and where the nearest 24-hour emergency dentist is to your home. 

Home Care Until You See a Dentist 

Even if you can see a 24-hour emergency dentist, you will still need to care for your condition until you arrive at their office. 

What Should I Do If I Damaged a Tooth? 

Losing an adult tooth is the most urgent dental emergency you can face. By responding quickly to the situation, you raise the chances that the dentist will successfully replace the tooth in your mouth. 

If a tooth falls, find it and try to gently place it back into the empty socket. Hold the tooth firmly in place until you can get to the dentist. 

In instances where you cannot replace the tooth in your mouth without forcing it, hold the tooth between your cheek and closed teeth. Your saliva will protect the tooth until you get to the dentist. Have an emergency dentist treat you within an hour for the best results.  

How Do I Stop Bleeding in My Mouth from an Injury?

Soft tissue injuries in your mouth will cause bleeding. This damage may not be an emergency if you can stop the bleeding at home with basic first aid. 

Rinse out your mouth with salt water to clean the area. Place a clean, moist gauze on the injury site in your mouth and hold it firmly in place for 20 minutes. While holding the gauze in your mouth, keep a cold compress or towel-wrapped ice pack on your face closest to the injury. The cold will reduce pain, and the gauze compression on the site will slow bleeding. 

Seek emergency dental care or go to a hospital ER if you cannot stop the blood flow after performing home care.

What Should I Do About Broken Dental Restorations? 

Broken dental work does not require immediate care from a 24-hour dentist, but you need treatment at the earliest time your dentist can see you. 

Invest in an over-the-counter dental repair kit if you have fillings, bridges, or crowns. These kits include dental cement to hold a dislodged or broken dental restoration in place until you can see your dentist. Denture adhesive or sugarless gum can substitute for dental cement. 

Even if you can repair the restoration with dental cement or an alternative, see your dentist as soon as possible to have the restoration replaced. 

What Do I Do If I Have Severe Tooth Pain? 

First, brush and floss your teeth to try to ease the pain. Food stuck between the teeth can sometimes cause pressure and pain that feels like a toothache.

If your pain persists or worsens, call your dentist for an appointment. Depending on your symptoms, you may have an emergency appointment or a regular visit scheduled. 

While awaiting treatment for severe dental pain, do the following: 

• Take ibuprofen or another pain reliever per the package directions, by mouth, and with plenty of water. 
• Place a cold compress on your face near the painful tooth. 
• Rinse your mouth with salt water. 

See your dentist as soon as possible for longer-lasting and more substantial relief from your tooth pain. 

How Much Do Dental Emergencies Cost? 

The cost of a dental emergency varies. Your dental insurance coverage, whether you will use insurance or cash, the type of dentist you visit, and the extent of your problem all contribute to the total cost.

As with all dental treatments, emergency care requires payment on the day of your visit. You may pay with insurance, cover the total cost yourself, or use a payment plan. 

Does Dental Insurance Cover Emergencies? 

Check your dental insurance policy to learn more about coverage and benefits. Your policy may cover emergency care after you meet a deductible or other requirements. 

How Can I Pay for Emergency Dental Care Without Insurance? 

If you are one of the 40% of Americans without dental insurance, consider a membership to your dentist's office. This plan includes free cleanings and oral exams, plus discounts for additional dental services. While it will not cover the total cost of emergency visits, you will receive a lower total price for your urgent care.

Another alternative to insurance for emergency care is a payment plan. The Cherry plan offers fast approval, a short application, and does not perform a hard credit check. It's a way to finance your emergency care at potentially a lower rate than you'd pay with a credit card. 

Even if you lack dental insurance, get immediate care for an emergency. With several options to cover the cost of your emergency care, you don't have to risk your smile because you don't have insurance or cash to immediately pay. 

How Can I Prevent Dental Emergencies?

Protect your smile and lower your chances of needing future dental care. A few good habits contribute significantly to reducing the likelihood that you will need emergency dentistry. 

1. Wear an athletic mouthguard when playing contact sports to avoid dental injuries.
2. Schedule regular dental care to lower the chances of tooth decay and the cavities or root canal infections it can cause. 
3. Follow your dentist's guidelines carefully after any dental surgery. 

Seva Dental: When You Need Urgent Care for a Dental Emergency 

How you respond to a dental emergency matters. When you have missing dental work, a knocked-out tooth, or severe pain, call us at Seva Dental at (937) 563-4803. Our team will walk you through the next steps to get you the treatment you need.