What to Do When a Dental Emergency Happens?

Dental emergencies can happen without any warnings. It is not unusual for individuals who suffer from a dental emergency to not know what steps to take to resolve the situation. The truth is that dental emergencies should never be ignored. They have the potential to escalate into much bigger issues when left unattended.

We have seen some of our patients suffer through dental emergencies because they assumed that their experience was normal. Therefore, we wanted to explain what you should consider a dental emergency before we get into the nitty gritty of how to treat such said emergency.

 

Dental issues can arise at any point in time. However, not every issue is considered an emergency. A dental emergency would typically include one of the following symptoms:

• Experiencing severe pain and/ or bleeding
• Losing a tooth
• Having a wiggly tooth
• Suffering from an infection

Each of these are important signs that point to a dental emergency. It is crucial to not dismiss these signs if you are suffering from them.

The symptoms mentioned above are often linked to bigger issues. We have compiled a list of dental emergencies below and ways to deal with each of them appropriately.

Toothaches are one of the most common dental emergencies that we see in our patients. The first action to take for this specific problem is to rinse the mouth with warm water. You might even want to add a little bit of salt to the water for extra relief. Another great tool to soothe the ache is to press a cold compress on the cheek or mouth. Toothaches can escalate in pain level quite quickly so while these efforts might help find some comfort short term, you will want to make an appointment with our team as soon as possible.

If you have suffered an injury in which you lost a tooth, please contact our clinic right away. We highly recommend trying to find the lost tooth and keeping it in a cup with milk. Try to book your appointment with our team right away! This will increase your chances of saving your tooth.

If you have cracked or broken your tooth, you will want to use warm water to rinse the mouth. This will help clean the area in case that there is any gunk that may cause more damage there. You might also want to consider using a cold compress in the case that you are experiencing swelling. Contact our clinic once you have undergone these initial steps and book a visit to see one of our dentists. Cracked and broken teeth can become much bigger problems when left untreated.

Bleeding from the mouth is usually linked to an acute or chronic condition. Small amounts of blood on your dental floss are not necessarily alarming but blood in the saliva should be treated with urgency. The mouth is quite the expert at preventing bleeding. If you are experiencing bleeding in the mouth, please contact our team right away. Early treatment is always the best course of action when it comes to major issues.

Infections in the mouth should be taken very seriously. These are often severe and have the ability to damage the tissues and teeth around it. Your mouth is also very closely linked to the rest of your body, including your brain. Infections have the ability to spread and bring havoc to your overall health. If you believe you are suffering from an infection, please do not wait for it to get worse. Book an appointment right away to assess the situation and be provided with the right treatment.

There are many instances where minor dental situations might arise that you can treat at home. However, dental emergencies are not one of them. Do not wait for things to magically get better if you are feeling pain, experiencing bleeding, lost a tooth, noticed a tooth wiggling, or have an infection. Take a moment to breathe deeply, assess if you are able to make yourself a little more comfortable, and then contact our team right away. If you are unsure whether a dental issue you are having is an emergency or not, please contact us either way. We are happy to help you assess the situation over the phone and book you in to see a dentist.