6 Dental Emergencies That You Shouldn't Ignore!

Preventive dentistry is an essential tool for maintaining excellent oral health. Some of these issues might be mild, moderate, or severe. Fortunately, mild to moderate symptoms shouldn’t prompt you to seek immediate treatment.

While most issues can wait for treatment, knowing what to do when faced with a dental emergency is essential. The sooner you can find help, the sooner you’ll find relief, and the better the chance of addressing the underlying problem before it causes long-term damage.

Since not all dental issues require immediate attention, you might be wondering when to seek emergency care or not. You should always seek emergency dental care if you have severe and life-threatening symptoms. Below are six dental conditions that should prompt you to seek emergency dental care near you.

6 Common Dental Emergencies

Contact or visit our dental office in Lexington, MA, if you have the following symptoms:

• Severe tooth pain

Pain in any organ is never a good sign. As far as your dental health is concerned, severe pain often indicates tooth decay or an exposed tooth nerve. Oral pain can also result from advanced gum disease, overcrowding, and TMJ disorders.

While some toothaches are manageable without or with over-the-counter medications, you should seek emergency care if you have a severe toothache. In most cases, severe tooth pain can link to other signs like swellings or infections.

• Bleeding

Minor bleeding after a dental procedure or when brushing or flossing shouldn’t cause you to seek emergency care. However, if post-treatment bleeding worsens or persists more than normal, it’s time to call your emergency dentist.

If you haven’t had a procedure recently, dental bleeding can signify other conditions like gum disease. As you wait for help, you bite on gauze to control the bleeding. Also, do not drink, eat, suck, spit, smoke, or rinse.

• Swollen and sensitive gums

Swelling or sensitivity in the gums often indicates gum infection or severe tooth decay. Regardless of the cause, your dentist can evaluate severe gum inflammation as soon as possible. In most cases, pain accompanies the swelling.

• Dental trauma

While your natural teeth are strong and durable, they can get damaged when exposed to extreme forces. For instance, your tooth can chip, crack, break, or fall out when chewing hard items or during a car or sports accident.

While not all cases of dental trauma require emergency care, it’s essential to seek immediate care if you experience significant discomfort, bleeding, or swelling. A knocked-out or loose tooth also requires emergency care.

The dentist can try to restore a knocked-out tooth in its socket and prevent a loose tooth from falling out.

As you wait for treatment, avoid anything that can worsen the discomfort. If you can’t re-insert a knocked out, be sure to preserve the tooth in a glass of water or milk.

• Missing, damaged, or loose restoration

A missing or loose restoration like a crown and filling often requires quick treatment. While some cases can wait until the dental office opens, call your emergency dentist if a damaged or missing restoration accompanies severe symptoms like bleeding, swelling, bleeding, or infection.

As you wait for help, try to place the restoration in its rightful place. If it’s not possible, keep the restoration safe and take it to the dentist during the treatment. If possible, the dentist can re-install the old restoration, eliminating the need for a new procedure.

• Dental Abscess

An abscess is a painful pimple filled with pus, often found near a tooth’s root. An abscess is often an indication of an infection in the mouth, and it requires immediate treatment. If left untreated, the infection can infect the surrounding parts like teeth and gums. The infection can also enter the bloodstream, increasing your risk of health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory items.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Do you have a dental emergency in Lexington, MA? Or perhaps you need more information about dental emergencies and what you can do as you wait for treatment? Contact Lexington Dental Office today to book your appointment.