Dental issues can occur unexpectedly and sometimes may lead to serious problems. Knowing when to seek emergency dental care can prevent pain, further complications, and tooth loss.
But how do you know when it’s time to make an emergency call to your dentist? In this blog, we will explore five key signs indicating that you may need emergency dental services. Read on!
- Severe Toothache
Tooth pain can be quite distressing, it’s not necessary to call emergency dental services for every toothache. If the pain is intense, throbbing, or lasts for more than a day, then something more serious may be happening. Now, you should seek emergency help.
Toothaches can be caused by various issues, including cavities, infections, and more. In some cases, you might also experience increased sensitivity to hot or cold foods. This type of pain makes it difficult to eat or drink comfortably.
If pain relievers aren’t helping, it’s time to seek immediate help from a dentist. They can diagnose the issue and make an instant treatment plan to cope with the critical problem.
- Broken or Chipped Teeth
A chipped or broken tooth might not always seem like an emergency, especially if there’s no pain involved. However, any damage to your tooth’s structure can lead to bigger problems like infection, permanent tooth damage, etc.
A broken tooth can expose the delicate inner layers of the tooth, making it more susceptible to infections. Also, broken teeth can have sharp edges that may damage your tongue, gums, or the insides of your cheeks.
Immediate treatment of broken teeth is important. Veneers may be an option if the damage isn’t too severe, but your dentist will be the best judge of what’s needed to restore the tooth.
- Swollen or Bleeding Gums
While swollen or bleeding gums are often associated with gum disease, they can sometimes signal the need for emergency dental services. If the swelling and bleeding comes all of a sudden and gets severe, you should call an emergency.
Swelling in the gums can indicate an infection or an abscess, both of which require urgent care. If left untreated, infections in the gums can spread to other parts of the body as well.
- Knocked-Out Tooth
A knocked-out tooth is one of the clearest signs you need emergency dental services, as your quick action can often save the tooth. Ideally, you should be seen by a dentist within 30 minutes to increase the chances of tooth reimplantation.
You should keep the tooth in its place for as long as you can. This is because your dentist may be able to re-implant the tooth, but the longer it stays out of the mouth, the harder this becomes.
Abscess or Severe Infection
One of the most dangerous dental emergencies is an abscess. It is a pocket of pus caused by a bacterial infection. An abscess is highly prone to spread to other body parts, causing severe health issues like fever, face swelling, and more.
Some common signs of an abscess include severe, throbbing pain in the tooth or gums, swelling in the face, cheek, or neck, foul taste in your mouth, etc. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek emergency dental care.
