Dental Emergencies
Dental Emergency: Seek Treatment Right Away or Wait?
Tooth pain, discomfort, a visible cavity, or any other abnormality can be a cause for concern. In some situations, it’s possible to wait until your next checkup or dental hygiene appointment. However, certain conditions require immediate attention to prevent more serious complications.
How can you identify truly urgent cases?
Treatment options may be limited if too much time elapses between the incident or the onset of symptoms and the visit to the dentist.
Here are some situations that require immediate attention:
Broken Tooth Due to Trauma
Whether or not you’re experiencing pain, a fracture must be evaluated very quickly by a dentist. Ideally, the appointment should take place immediately after the accident. It is strongly recommended that you bring the fragment of the broken tooth (if you can find it) and store it in milk or the patient’s saliva in a jar or plastic bag until you arrive at the dentist’s office.
In addition to providing the dentist with information about the cause of the incident and the condition of the tooth, the fragment may allow the dentist to reconstruct the tooth by bonding it back in place with dental adhesive and composite resin. If this proves impossible, your dentist can use it as a guide to reconstruct the original shape of your tooth as faithfully as possible.
Avulsed tooth (completely dislodged from its socket)
An avulsed tooth is a tooth that has been completely dislodged from its socket. Most often, people visit the dentist so that the tooth can be reimplanted. In this case, the same recommendations apply regarding how to preserve the tooth, but the chances of success decrease with every passing minute after the tooth is dislodged.
Swelling in the cheeks
Don’t delay in seeing a dentist. Swelling is usually a sign of an infection, and there is a real risk that it could worsen and spread. Apply a cold compress to your cheek and contact your dentist right away.
Broken Orthodontic Appliance
Is a component of your orthodontic appliance or a retention wire broken, snapped, or loose? To avoid discomfort, pain, or unwanted tooth movement, contact your dentist or orthodontist as soon as possible so they can advise you on what to do. If that’s not possible and it’s a true emergency (severe pain or irritation), another dentist or orthodontist may be able to help you.
Pain That Keeps You Awake
Are you experiencing a dull ache or sharp, shooting pain? Pain like this rarely goes away on its own. It usually indicates the presence of an abscess, inflammation, or a bacterial infection. The pulp of your tooth may be affected. After an examination, your dentist can relieve the pain and recommend appropriate treatments.
Please Note
Some situations, while not urgent, require consultation with a dental health professional fairly soon.