Emergency Dentistry

When Do You Need Emergency Dental Care?

Dental emergencies occur when a patient experiences uncontrolled bleeding, unexplained swelling, or severe pain. Some of the most common dental emergencies include the following situations:

‍

Common Dental Emergencies

Persistent Toothache

Pain is the body's way of telling you that something is wrong. While some tooth pain can be caused by relatively harmless tooth sensitivity, it can also be a sign of a serious problem. If you're experiencing a severe toothache, you should seek dental treatment right away for relief and to determine and address the underlying problem causing the pain. 

Knocked-Out Tooth

A knocked-out tooth is a dental emergency. With prompt care and the right transportation of the knocked-out tooth, your natural tooth might be savable. 

If you have a knocked-out tooth, be careful not to touch the roots. If you can, insert the tooth back into the open socket in your gums. Do not force the tooth into the socket. If you cannot put the tooth back, then hold it between your gums and cheek on the way to the dentist's office. Do not rinse it or transport it in water. 

Broken or Chipped Tooth

A severe break or chip in a tooth can leave your tooth vulnerable to infection. This requires prompt treatment to seal and repair the tooth. 

Lost Dental Crown or Filling

Losing a dental crown or filling also compromises the integrity of a tooth. It weakens the tooth and also leaves it vulnerable to becoming infected. 

Broken Orthodontics

Although most orthodontic appliances, like braces, are sturdy and made of metal, they can still become broken. This can leave your soft tissues exposed to sharp wires or brackets and also compromise your course of orthodontic treatment. These appliances need to be repaired right away. 

Abscess

An abscess is a sign of an advanced bacterial infection. This can cause severe pain and swelling in and around your mouth. Without proper treatment with antibiotics, these kinds of infections can spread, leading to serious, even life-threatening, complications. 

Post-Extraction or Surgery Complications

Uncontrolled bleeding, a dry socket (dislodged blood clot), or signs of an infection following a tooth extraction or oral surgery all constitute dental emergencies that require prompt attention and treatment to ensure proper healing and prevent further complications. 

‍

At-Home Remedies for Relief From Dental Pain

While you wait for emergency treatment or to visit our office for a regularly scheduled dental appointment, you can take steps to alleviate your pain with the following at-home remedies:

• Over-the-Counter Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications (NSAIDs) - Avoid taking aspirin, as this can worsen bleeding, but NSAIDs can help relieve pain and swelling. 
• Topical Toothache Relief - Toothache creams and gels are available over-the-counter and can provide temporary relief from a toothache or other sensitivity when applied to the teeth and gums.
• Cold Compress - Apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek over the area that is swollen or painful. 

Over-the-Counter Dental Cement - It's not a permanent fix, but you can use over-the-counter dental cement or putty (available in most pharmacies) to temporarily repair a dental crown, replace a lost filling, or seal a broken or chipped tooth.