What is Emergency Dentistry?

Dental emergencies can unexpectedly strike at any time. Some emergencies require immediate care, others can wait for a promptly scheduled appointment, but in all situations, it's always best to contact your dental team as soon as you can! 

Lost Tooth

Whether due to sports play, a fall, or car accident, getting a tooth knocked out needs urgent dental intervention. 

Chances to save the natural tooth decreases extremely quickly - between 30 to 60 minutes after the injury occurs. If you can find your tooth, you should:

• Contact your dentist immediately
• Hold the tooth only by the top of the crown, rinse it, using water only
• Don’t wash away any tissue still on the tooth root
• While the best way to preserve your tooth is to hold it into the socket it was knocked from, if this isn’t possible, transport the tooth to your dentist in a container with your saliva or with some milk 
• Rinse your mouth with warm water
• Apply a cold compress to your face where the injury occurred
• Head to your dentist’s office

If the tooth can’t be saved, a dental implant, which is as durable and long lasting as your own tooth, is the best replacement. 

Your Tooth is Chipped, Cracked, or Broken

A chipped tooth can usually be fixed with a simple filling; a broken tooth restored with a dental crown. While you need to reach out for an appointment, these issues aren’t considered urgent, but reach out when they happen to schedule a timely visit. A lost filling or crown should also be treated this way: call your dentist immediately, but there’s no need for an urgent visit when this injury first occurs. 

Tooth Pain

While you may see no visible sign of trauma, a severe toothache or tooth pain can be an urgent dental emergency. Experiencing pain in your tooth, gums or gum tissue can be extremely debilitating. You may experience lesser pain or sensitivity to hot or cold prior to the occurrence of these severe symptoms. Call your dental team; the severity of the pain will affect the urgency of a dental visit. 

Pain from an impacted wisdom tooth, or an infected tooth, particularly if the gum area is swollen, or you experience any swelling of gums, cheek, jaw, or neck  should be treated as an urgent emergency situation. 

Tooth Abscess

A tooth or gum abscess can indeed be extremely painful. An abscess is basically a pocket of pus developing at the root of your tooth, causing pain and a bad taste. You may also have some swelling of the gums, or a fever. A throbbing toothache is another sign of an abscess. Whether caused by tooth decay which has reached to the inner pulp area of your tooth or for another reason, this is also an emergency - abscess should be dealt with very rapidly as an infection could spread to other areas of your mouth and body.

What is a Dental Emergency?

While in some situations, you only need to contact your dentist and set an appointment time, when an emergency strikes, reach out immediately! 

We’ll assess the situation over the phone and get you into our office ASAP. Call right away if you’re experiencing:

• Severe tooth pain
• Tooth loss
• Loss of filling or crown
• Cracked tooth
• Abscess
• Swelling of gums, cheek, jaw, or neck

Do You Need Emergency Help?

If you need emergency help, whether urgent or to schedule a timely appointment, reach out to us today. We’re ready to help with all your emergency dental needs!