Having severe dental pain which is impacting your daily life? Luckily, most dental emergencies aren’t nearly as bad as other medical problems, but it’s still important to see your dentist right away. We’ve put together a quick guide of dental emergencies so you know when to visit your dentists ASAP.
- Face swelling
This could be an infection in your teeth, gums or bones that has turned serious and it cannot be fixed without immediate treatment from your dentist.
- Knocked out tooth/teeth
If you lose a tooth due to an accident, it means you need an implant pronto. There is a possibility of simply re-implanting the tooth you have knocked out if you can get it to the dentist in under an hour. Pick up the tooth by the crown and not the root, as you can damage the nerves sitting on the root.
- Bleeding from the mouth
Bleeding from your mouth is never normal and you should check if you bleed after flossing or if there is blood in your saliva, as this means you could have a serious underlying condition or advanced gum disease. Neither situation should be ignored, so call or visit your dentist if the blood isn’t going away.
- Gum Abscess
A gum abscess looks like a pimple on your gum and can be coloured yellow, red, clear or white, and indicates a serious infection in the tooth or the gum. Your dentist will most likely treat it with root canal surgery and antibiotics, but it is something you should not put off – and definitely don’t pop the pimple!
- Injury, fall or accident
If you have had a fall or accident that is suddenly giving you intense bursts of pain in you or around your mouth, get to a dentist as soon as possible. If you’ve broken your tooth, how quickly you get to a dental clinic determines if you get to keep the tooth or not and minimise the amount of trauma to your mouth and teeth.
Other signs that suggest you should head to your dentist ASAP, include:
- If you have a broken, chipped or cracked a tooth that needs a filling or implant.
- If you have lingering sensitivity to cold/hot foods or spontaneous pain.
- If you have pain every time you bite down on something.
If you want more information or have any questions about a dental emergency, don’t hesitate to request an appointment.
