Emergency Dentistry

What is a dental emergency?

Dental emergencies can take various forms, such as a sudden and severe toothache, a chipped or cracked tooth, a damaged or loose restoration, or a lost or damaged tooth. It’s worth noting that about 22 percent of people have experienced dental or oral pain in the last six months. To determine if your situation is an emergency, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you in severe pain or experiencing severe swelling?
• Do you have a painful toothache that will not subside?
• Do you have a loose or knocked-out tooth?
• Do you have swelling in your cheeks or face combined with a toothache?
• Are you experiencing extreme tooth sensitivity?
• Are you bleeding from the mouth that will not stop?
• Is your jaw injured?

Any dental problem requiring immediate treatment to stop bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or save a tooth is considered an emergency. This consideration also applies to severe infections that can be life-threatening and require contacting your dental office.

What is not a dental emergency?

If you can manage the problem independently for a few days without requiring immediate attention from your dentist, it’s likely not a dental emergency. For instance, a cracked or chipped tooth is only considered an emergency if it causes pain or injury inside your mouth. Similarly, if you have lost a tooth or filling, you can wait a few days before seeing your dentist.

What’s the best way to handle a dental emergency?

The best thing to do in a dental emergency is to contact your dentist unless it is extremely severe, and then you should go to the emergency room.

Depending on the dental emergency you are experiencing, there may be some things you can do to help ease your pain and help the situation. Some efforts include:

• Dissolve a teaspoon of salt into a mug of warm water and use it as a mouthwash
• If your tooth is knocked out, place it in a glass of milk until you can see your dentist
• Try flossing to eliminate any gum pressure
• Use a cold compress on the swelling or painful area
• Swish with Hydrogen Peroxide to kill bacteria
• Take over-the-counter pain medication to alleviate pain