Dental emergencies are problems with your teeth, gums, or jaw that require the urgent attention of a skilled emergency dentist. Mostly, they include severe pain, bleeding, great discomfort, fever, or a broken or dislodged tooth. A general dentist typically handles dental emergencies. General dentists who offer emergency services operate around the clock to ensure that people in need of immediate treatment find it regardless of the time or day.
It is helpful to recognize a dental emergency and seek treatment before it escalates or harms your overall health. You can contact your dentist whenever you suspect a dental emergency for instructions and care tips before treatment.
Here are common dental issues that require the attention of an emergency dentist:
A Severe Toothache
A severe toothache is the kind of pain that does not go away even with pain medication. Generally, stomachs start mildly and intensify with time. Although it is advisable to see a dentist immediately if you experience pain in your tooth, gums, or jawbone, however mild, a severe toothache is a reasonable cause for worry. You could experience this if you have severe tooth decay, an infection that causes a dental abscess, severe gum disease, or a cracked tooth. You could also experience pain if your developing wisdom tooth becomes impacted, you experience trauma to your teeth, or habitually clench or grind your teeth.
Contact an emergency dentist immediately if you experience a toothache that you cannot manage from home. They could advise you to rinse with warm salty water or to floss to dislodge any food that may be stuck between your teeth. The exact advice will depend on how you explain the situation to your dentist on the phone. If there is swelling, your dentist will advise you to use a cold pack on your mouth or cheek as you prepare for emergency treatment.
Once at the dentist’s office, they will examine you to determine the cause of the severe toothache. If you have a severe cavity, your dentist will first manage your pain, and then start preparing treatment for the cavity. If you have an infection, they will determine its cause and offer immediate treatment.
A Badly Cracked Tooth
The outer part of your natural teeth is made of a hard element, the enamel, which continually remineralizes itself to remain strong and protect your teeth’s underlying structures. However, the enamel can crack under extreme pressure. You can crack one or multiple teeth if you habitually chew hard foods like nuts and ice, or experience trauma in an accident. People who habitually clench or grind their teeth weaken the enamel over time, leading to eventual cracking.
A cracked or chipped tooth can be very painful, depending on the nature and severity of the crack. It may cause bleeding or tooth dysfunction, especially if several teeth are affected. For these reasons, you need immediate treatment to prevent tooth loss, restore the affected teeth’s functionality, and stop the pain or bleeding.
You should call your dentist immediately after your teeth crack. They will advise you on how to handle the broken parts of the tooth so the dentist can reattach them once you arrive at their office. They could also advise rinsing your mouth several times with warm salty water to alleviate some pain. If you are bleeding, your dentist will instruct you on how to make a cotton gauze and how to apply it to the bleeding area for a few minutes to stop or reduce the bleeding. You can also apply a cold pack to the face or cheek to relieve your pain and swelling.
You can lose a badly cracked tooth if you do not seek treatment immediately after an accident. The dentist will determine the best ways to save the tooth after examining it and the adjacent teeth. They could reattach the broken tooth pieces or use a dental filling to cover the crack. This will restore the tooth’s structure and strength.
A Knocked-Out or Dislodged Tooth
If you suffer a sudden high-impact trauma to your face or mouth, it could be hard enough to knock out one or a few of your teeth. This can occur in a spot injury, a vehicle accident, a slip-and-fall, or a physical altercation. If the impact is strong enough, it can tear one or multiple teeth from their socket, damaging their periodontal ligament. This calls for immediate treatment to reattach the tooth.
When you call your dentist in a situation like this, they will advise you to retrieve the dislodged tooth and handle it by its crown. You can rinse the root with plain water without scrubbing, as this could remove tissues still attached to the tooth. If possible, return the dislodged tooth to its socket and keep it in position until you arrive at the dentist’s office. If this is not possible, place the tooth in milk or salty water.
If there is pain or bleeding, your dentist will provide instructions on managing it before you arrive at their office. Visiting an emergency dentist immediately this improves the dentist’s chances of reattaching the dislodged tooth to the socket. However, this must happen within an hour of the accident. If you delay treatment, you could lose the tooth, requiring a restoration.
Partially Dislodged or Loose Tooth
If a tooth becomes slightly loose or partially pulled out, you need immediate treatment to restore it to its position and prevent tooth loss. This can happen in case of dental trauma or a direct impact on the mouth or face. A tooth could become loose after a fall, if you are hit in the face during contact sports, or are involved in a vehicle accident. Biting a hard object can also weaken the tooth’s structure, causing it to loosen. Other cases of this dental issue include bruxism and advanced periodontitis due to severe gum recession.
You should visit your dentist immediately if you notice that one or more of your teeth are loose. If you have been involved in an accident and the tooth is bleeding or painful, your dentist will provide quick relief before you arrive at their office. You can also manage the pain with some over-the-counter medication. Once at the dentist’s office, they will address the pain and bleeding, then determine the cause and severity of the matter.
If you arrive at the dentist’s office within 30 or 60 minutes of the accident, they may be able to save the tooth and restore it to its original position. The dentist will conduct a physical examination and use X-rays to determine the extent of the damage. They can push the dislodged tooth back to its socket and then use splinting to secure it in position for three to four months. This will allow for perfect reattachment and prevent tooth loss.
If the damage extends to the pulp or nerves, your dentist can recommend root canal therapy to prevent an infection.
Dental Abscess
A dental abscess is a swelling that happens around a tooth or between a tooth and your gums. It causes a pimple or sac, usually filled with pus. It is a clear indication of an infection and should be treated immediately to prevent it from escalating and affecting your overall health.
Harmful oral bacteria cause tooth infections. They mainly occur when bacteria in your mouth thrive more than they should, causing harm to your gums and teeth. An infection can happen if a tooth cavity is not treated on time. The infection can spread to a tooth’s pulp, causing you to experience severe pain, sensitivity, and fever. An infection can also affect your gums, especially if you have untreated gum disease. It can cause gum recession, penetrate the tooth’s roots, and increase your risk of tooth loss.
When you notice a dental abscess, visit your dentist’s office immediately, even in the absence of other symptoms of an infection, such as chills and fever. If you are in pain, you could rinse with warm salty water. This will also draw the pus to the surface, making it easier for the dentist to remove it. Do not ignore the abscess, as oral infections can spread rapidly and enter your bloodstream quickly.
Broken or Lost Dental Restoration
Dental restorations, such as fillings and crowns, are usually held together by a strong dental material. However, after years of use, the material is usually not as strong as it was in the beginning. The restoration can weaken or become loose. Also, if you fail to care for your dental restoration properly, you could break it. This is common for people who enjoy chewing hard foods like ice and candies, or those who have bruxism. Clenching or grinding your teeth weakens even the strongest dental restoration with time, eventually causing it to fail.
When a dental restoration breaks or comes out, you should visit your dentist immediately to have it restored. Remember that a restoration protects your tooth from further damage and restores your tooth’s functionality and your smile. For example, a dental filling restores a damaged tooth and prevents it from further damage. If the filling comes out, the tooth is no longer protected and can be harmed by harmful bacteria.
The damage to your restoration can also cause you intense pain. Seeing a dentist immediately after it happens helps protect you from pain and prevent further damage. It could also save you money and time if your dentist can restore the restoration rather than starting the process afresh.
Severe Soft Tissue Injury
The soft tissues within your mouth are very sensitive and can easily be injured. These include the gums, cheeks, tongue, and lips. A minor injury can result in pain and bleeding. A severe injury requires immediate treatment to prevent excessive bleeding and manage the resulting pain.
If you sustain a serious soft tissue injury, your dentist can advise you to do the following at home:
- Rinse with warm, salty water to manage the pain and minimize or stop bleeding
- Use a moistened cotton gauze or a caffeinated tea bag to apply pressure to the bleeding site. You should hold the gauze or tea bag in place for at least 15 minutes. A caffeinated tea bag contains tannic acid, which can help stop bleeding by constricting blood vessels.
- If you are in p[ain, a cold compress can help. Hold it outside the mouth or the cheek, depending on the exact location of the injury. Holding this in place for about ten minutes will relieve some of the pain and swelling.
Visit your dentist immediately if the pain or bleeding does not stop. Although injuries in the mouth generally heal faster than those on the skin, a soft tissue injury can take a longer time to heal due to continuous irritation from food and biting. You need a dentist’s advice on how to ensure a quick recovery and prevent an infection.
For example, if you enjoy hot, spicy, or acidic foods, your dentist will advise you to avoid them until the injury heals completely. Such foods can aggravate the injury or delay healing. If the injury takes a long time to heal, it may allow harmful bacteria to attack it, which could lead to a serious oral infection.
Find a Competent Emergency Dentist Near Me
Although all dental and oral issues should be taken seriously to protect your oral and general health, some serious dental issues need emergency treatment. These include issues that cause excessive bleeding, severe pain, or put your teeth and gums at risk of severe damage. It is helpful to know when to visit an emergency dentist to save a tooth or prevent further harm.
We handle all kinds of emergency dental needs at The Hawthorne Dentist. Our experienced general dentists are available around the clock to ensure that a dental problem does not escalate into a major issue that could result in tooth loss or a serious impact on your general health. Call us at 310-775-2557 to learn more about dental emergencies in Hawthorne and how we can help.
