What Is Considered A Dental Emergency?

There are many occasions when you’ll want to visit a dentist. You might want to have a routine check-up to make sure all is well or have your teeth professionally cleaned to enhance your smile and overall oral health. At other times, a visit to the dentist is not optional but a necessity where emergency dentistry is required to resolve the problem.

What is considered emergency dental treatment, and what are some emergency dental procedures? Read on to learn more about emergency dentistry, what’s involved in emergency dentistry, when you might require emergency treatment and also discover some oral health issues that are not considered a dental emergency.

Many people get confused about this very important topic, so it’s vital to gain a deeper understanding of what emergency dentistry is and what is considered an emergency dental situation. 

What is Emergency Dentistry?

Emergency dental procedures are required in a scenario that simply cannot wait. One of the most common scenarios is a toothache. For instance, tooth decay has led to incessant and very uncomfortable pain. If you’ve ever experienced this kind of toothache, immediately seek a dentist’s assistance. 

Accidents where one or more teeth are broken or dislodged are also emergency dental situations, especially if there is a lot of bleeding from the injury.

Facial swelling and possibly accompanying pain can also present a scenario where emergency dentistry and immediate treatment are required. This swelling could be the result of several conditions, from tooth decay to gum disease.

In essence, emergency dental procedures are required in situations where treatment simply can’t wait. We’ll cover some emergency dentistry issues in more detail, and if the following issues arise, you should immediately book an emergency appointment with your dentist.

Emergency Dental Treatments

Now that we have a clearer understanding of what is considered emergency dental let’s take a closer look at some typical oral emergencies.

Toothache

Many things can cause toothache, and while you should see your dentist as soon as possible, even for mild forms of toothache, if the pain becomes more severe and is consistent, it’s time to book an emergency appointment.

A tooth infection can be very painful. This makes chewing food difficult and even undesirable. A throbbing toothache also makes it extremely difficult to sleep at night. If left untreated, severe systemic health issues can result.

A severe toothache definitely qualifies as a dental emergency that needs to be attended to ASAP. Not only will you avoid further health complications, but the sheer relief of resolving that toothache will feel like one of life’s greatest moments.

While an injury to another part of the body can certainly be painful, there is just something extra sensitive about experiencing pain in your mouth. It’s not something you’ll want to endure, so have your dentist take that pain away.

A toothache may be resolved by removing decay and filling the tooth. For more severe infections, root canal therapy might be required. If the tooth is too far gone, an extraction will be necessary. No matter what emergency dental procedures are required, the good news is that toothache will be gone.

Trauma and Accidents

Accidents do happen, and sometimes an accident, such as a fall or a sporting injury, will result in a tooth being cracked, broken or dislodged from the mouth entirely. Obviously, aside from the tooth or teeth requiring repair, there will be a lot of discomfort associated with such an injury.

Oral trauma and accidents definitely constitute scenarios where emergency dentistry will be needed. Be sure to call your dentist (or have someone do it for you) and explain what the emergency is. At Admire Dentistry, we fully understand emergencies like these and will accommodate you immediately, especially when children are involved.

In the case where a tooth has been completely knocked out, avoid contact with the area. Instead, rinse with fresh water and place the tooth back in the socket.

If a broken tooth can’t be saved, then a dental implant will be required to fill the gap of the missing tooth. The procedure for a dental implant takes weeks (or months). Once completed, you’ll never know you ever had a missing tooth.

Facial Swelling

Have you looked in the mirror recently and noticed that one side of your face looks swollen or more puffy than the other side? Facial swelling can be the result of an oral health issue. Even if you’re not currently experiencing any associated pain and discomfort, this is not something that should be ignored.

Most likely, the swelling is the result of an infection in the gum. If you have facial swelling, then emergency dentistry may be required to resolve the issue before more serious problems surface from infection. An infected tooth is usually the cause of swelling, and if that tooth is left untreated for a period of time, other health problems can arise, such as serious periodontal gum disease.

Your dentist will resolve the problem by treating the affected tooth and gum with an appropriate procedure. This will take away the swelling and any associated pain. Once again, your face will look normal and symmetrical.

What Is Not Considered A Dental Emergency?

Not all dental situations are emergencies, and some may be able to wait for a regularly scheduled appointment. 

Booking in for a check-up or teeth cleaning doesn’t require an emergency appointment. In fact, check-ups or regular appointments can be booked at your leisure or any time that suits you.

If you’ve chipped a tooth or a portion of a filling has broken away, you won’t generally require an emergency appointment to have the problem rectified if there is no immediate pain. However, you should have these issues attended right away before they get any worse.

While a mild toothache should be attended to as soon as possible, if the pain is not intense, an emergency procedure probably won’t be necessary. Having said that, don’t simply put it off until a mild toothache becomes a major one.

Tooth sensitivity is common and something that can be resolved with the help of your dentist. It’s not a dental emergency unless the sensitivity is quite severe.

Chipped or broken dentures also don’t usually constitute dental emergencies requiring immediate attention.

While a loose crown or bridge needs attention, an emergency appointment won’t be required to receive the necessary treatment.

Just because your problem isn’t considered a dental emergency, that doesn’t mean you should put off seeking treatment. It’s always wise to deal with an oral issue sooner rather than later.

Emergency Dental Treatments with Admire Dentistry

We’ve covered what is considered emergency dental and what’s not. Remember to seek treatment immediately for emergency cases of your oral health. If you require emergency dentistry, it’s time to book an emergency appointment with Admire Dentistry. We encourage you not to put it off; get in touch with our expert staff so you can feel better right away.