Dental emergencies can be frightening and overwhelming. Fortunately, prompt dental care can usually resolve the problem. If you experience sudden or worsening dental issues, seek help right away. Emergency dental care can treat pain, stop bleeding, and prevent infection.
Emergency dental care is available at Smile Solutions in Pittsburg and the surrounding area. Our team helps patients cope with accidents and injuries. We also provide a wide range of preventive services. Call us to learn more.
When To Seek Emergency Dental Care
Like a number of other health conditions, a study published in The National Library of Medicine explains that dental emergencies can be life-threatening. Serious issues that need immediate attention include infection and ongoing bleeding. Certain traumas, especially those that involve facial bones, also require immediate treatment, as they can cut off the airway and restrict breathing. Seeking immediate dental attention for these issues can prevent trips to the ER at the hospital.
Uncontrolled bleeding and difficulty breathing are not the only reasons to get emergency care. There are numerous other urgent dental conditions that indicate an appointment should be made right away. Some of these issues and their symptoms include:
- Infection: Infection can be caused by numerous things, and it can be localized or more general. Common signs include swelling, red gums, pain, and pockets of pus. An infection may also result in a fever.
- Pulpal inflammation: According to Medical News Today, this is inflammation of the pulp, which refers to the tissue, blood supply, and nerves found in the middle of a tooth. It is often caused by a cavity infection and often is indicated by sensitivity, swelling, and pain.
- Dry socket: Dry socket can occur after the removal of the tooth, most commonly a wisdom tooth. It occurs when a blood clot becomes dislodged or does not form properly, which exposes the bones and nerves in the gums. Throbbing jaw pain, bad breath, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth are all possible symptoms.
- Tooth fracture: A fractured tooth can occur from an acute injury or from biting something hard. A fracture may be easy to spot if it is an obvious break. Additional signs to watch for are pain, temperature sensitivity, and swelling.
- Serious issues that need immediate attention include infection and ongoing bleeding.
What Procedures Emergency Dental Care Covers
The specific type of procedure used is largely dependent on the symptoms and issue. For infections, the dentist acts to fix the problem, such as removing decay from a lost filling, and then possibly prescribes an antibiotic to kill off the harmful bacteria. Pulpal inflammation may be caused by a cavity, injury, a fractured tooth, or repetitive trauma. Potential procedures used include disinfecting and sealing or removing the tooth.
For a dry socket, Healthline describes that the dentist cleans the socket to prevent infection and ease the pain, and then packs it with gauze. Often, pain medication is recommended to provide relief. Depending on the severity of a fractured tooth, common procedures include bonding, placing a crown, performing a root canal, or extraction.
- The specific type of procedure used is largely dependent on the symptoms and issue.
Non-Emergency Issues
Certain signs that indicate potential emergency situations are also signs of non-emergency ones. Therefore, if there is any doubt, it is still a good idea to make an immediate appointment. Bleeding is one example. Although some bleeding after a dental procedure is normal, it should only last around 24 to 48 hours, in most cases. If the bleeding is intense and uncontrollable, it is a good idea to visit the dentist right away.
Some dental emergencies are nonurgent and can wait a day or two to be seen. These include a small crack or chip in a tooth; a lost crown, filling, or bridge; a dull toothache; and food stuck between two teeth.
- Certain signs that indicate potential emergency situations are also signs of non-emergency ones.
The Risks Of Untreated Dental Pain
Dental emergencies often cause severe or debilitating pain. Patients should report tooth pain to their dentist right away, as new or worsening pain is a warning sign of serious dental problems like infection or a fractured jaw. If the patient delays treatment, the infection may spread, or the fracture may worsen.
Dentists can perform in-depth testing to identify the source of the pain. For example, if the patient has an infection, the dentist can provide antibiotics. These medications clear up an infection before it can spread into the bloodstream.
Dentists can also treat other sources of oral pain, including broken or decayed teeth. Dental care can fix jaw problems, too. For example, the dentist can provide a targeted treatment if the patient’s pain results from jaw misalignment or injury.
- However, pain that is sharp and constant indicates an emergency, so it is recommended to make an immediate appointment even if there are no other signs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quality Dental Services Can Transform Your Smile
By visiting us as soon as possible, our team can help get you the professional treatment you need. Instead of waiting around and allowing the symptoms to get worse, we can provide you with treatment options.
Dental Emergency Terminology
A dental abscess is a pocket of pus that forms in the tooth root from a bacterial infection.
Facial cellulitis is a condition in which an infection from an abscess or plaque in the teeth causes pain and spreads throughout the face.
An impacted wisdom tooth is a tooth that does not erupt properly from the gums and can cause pain and infection without professional extraction.
Irreversible pulpitis is when the tooth pain occurs spontaneously or persists after the patient removes the hot/cold substance that was causing it. Normal pulpitis will stop hurting immediately after removing the cause of the pain.
Lateral luxation is the displacement of a tooth that moves it in the wrong direction while it is still attached to the gums.
Pericoronitis is the inflammation of soft tissues surrounding a tooth that does not fully erupt from the gums and causes pain.
Tooth avulsion is when the tooth is completely displaced from the socket due to an accident or other health issues. We can replant the tooth if the patient seeks immediate care.
A tooth fracture can result from multiple sources, including an accidental elbow to the face during a sports game, biting on something really hard, falling face-first, and more.
Call Us Today
Fast care for a dental emergency can be crucial. If in doubt about whether you are experiencing a dental emergency, call us for an appointment in our Pittsburg office.