What Is a Dental Emergency?

According to American Family Physician, about 22 percent of people reported having experienced oral pain in the previous six months, showing just how common dental emergencies can be. Still, not every dental situation should be considered an emergency. To help you determine if you can wait until your next dental appointment or if you need to take a trip to an emergency dentist, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are you in severe pain? Severe pain and bleeding are signs of an emergency.
2. Have you lost a tooth? Fast treatment can potentially save a tooth.
3. Do you have loose teeth? Adults should never lose teeth. A loose tooth, even without pain, is a serious problem.
4. Do you have an infection? An abscess or serious infection in your mouth can be potentially life-threatening, and treatment should not wait.
5. Are you bleeding from the mouth? This is a potential sign of an emergency.

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

What Are Treatments for Common Dental Emergencies?

How to treat dental emergencies depends on the situation and the type of damage. In many cases of severe toothache and chips or cracks, your dentist may need to treat an infection and repair the tooth, which could involve:

• Root canal treatment
• Dental filling
• Extraction
• Irrigation and antibiotic treatment

If your tooth has been broken, knocked loose, or has come out completely, your dentist may need to perform:

• Dental filling
• Root canal treatment
• Splinting
• Reimplantation
• Antibiotic treatment

Want to achieve a brighter smile? Contact Smiles for Health today! We want to help take your smile to the next level with our wellness dental care.