Oral health issues can occur at any time, so it is important to invest in your oral health. Keeping your teeth strong and healthy can reduce your risk for oral health issues. Your daily oral care routine and regular dental visits can lessen your chance of facing severe dental complications. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and there are cases in which your teeth may require an emergency dentist.

 

When Should You Visit an Emergency Dentist?

An emergency dentist provides immediate care for unexpected oral health issues. Common causes of emergency dental issues are car accidents or sports injuries that physically break or damage the teeth. In these situations, when one needs urgent dental treatment, you should visit an emergency dentist. Still, it can be difficult to recognize when a dental issue crosses the line from requiring care soon to requiring care immediately. Below, you will find the answer to when you should visit an emergency dentist.  

 

Severe or Persistent Tooth Pain

Severe or persistent tooth pain is the most common reason to visit an emergency dentist. Prolonged or excessive tooth pain is often a sign of a more serious oral health condition. Common causes of tooth pain are cavities, decay, gum disease, fractures, abscesses, or infection. If left untreated, these issues will become progressively worse. They can lead to tooth loss, jawbone inflammation or swelling, and even issues with your overall health.

Tooth pain that continues for more than a few days is considered persistent and requires an examination. This is especially true if over-the-counter pain medication has not helped your symptoms. Seek immediate treatment if the pain is sharp, constant, or throbbing. These categories of pain can be a sign of an infection that requires immediate treatment. Contact an emergency dentist right away to schedule an appointment if you have severe or persistent dental pain. 

 

Infections or Abscesses

A dental abscess is a painful infection in your tooth. It is often located in your gums or at the root of your teeth. Dental abscesses are a very serious condition that will cause further unwanted complications if left untreated. Common symptoms of an abscess include a severe toothache, swelling in your face or gums, pimple-like bumps on your gums, and gum pain. They can also be accompanied by a foul taste in your mouth that results from tooth drainage. In severe cases, dental abscesses can lead to fever and swollen lymph nodes.

An abscess requires immediate treatment from an emergency dentist so they can drain the infection from your tooth. This will prevent the infection from spreading to other areas of your mouth. If left untreated, the infection can spread from your mouth to the rest of your body and impact your overall health. If you have any of the symptoms associated with a dental infection, contact an emergency dentist right away.

 

Broken, Chipped, or Knocked-out Teeth

Accidents can happen at any moment, even to the most prepared of people. Broken, chipped, and knocked-out teeth—which can be caused by car accidents, sports injuries, physical fights, and a number of other events—are common dental issues. However, unlike other common dental issues, they require an urgent visit to an emergency dentist. If you visit a dentist immediately after sustaining physical damage to your tooth, it is much more likely that the emergency dentist will be able to effectively treat and restore your damaged tooth. Restoring the damaged tooth will be beneficial to both your short and long-term oral health.

The most common treatment options to save your natural tooth are crowns or bonding. Both blend seamlessly with your teeth and give your smile a natural-looking appearance. Still, if you bring your knocked-out tooth to an emergency dentist quickly enough, they may be able to preserve it and return it to its spot in your mouth.

 

Emergency Dental Care

If you experience oral health complications that require emergency dentistry, contact the team at Maz Endodontics to schedule an appointment.