What Is Classed as a Dental Emergency?

A Dental emergency can occur even if you have been taking good care of your dental health. Despite investing a good amount of time in maintaining your teeth’s health, sometimes dental problems may crop up unexpectedly at any time. However, not all dental issues can be categorized as dental emergencies. Because some time you might required single tooth replacement which might be causing the issue.

Failing out of a tooth, a chipped tooth, a toothache, or problems associated with dental crowns could be severe dental issues. This is when you need a reliable Emergency Dental Care USA service like Teledentistry. They can assess your condition and connect you to a suitable dentist right away.

What is a Dental Emergency? 

Dental emergencies are life-threatening conditions requiring immediate treatment to treat a severe condition, stop bleeding, prevent infection, or alleviate severe pain. In other words, it refers to a dental condition that requires an immediate professional solution.  

Conditions that are Categorized as Dental Emergencies

Listed below are the common dental conditions that can need immediate consultation from a professional dentist.

Bleeding or swollen gums

Continuous bleeding in the gums, accompanied by swelling and pain, can be considered a state of dental emergency. However, it is to be noted that frequent gum irritation isn’t an emergency. It may indicate simply an underlying health or dental issue.

Seek professional help immediately at Elevate Dental’s clinic in Melbourne if you experience symptoms of bleeding gums.

Unexplainable tooth pain

A toothache isn’t something you should ignore or take lightly. It is your body’s way of signaling that something is wrong with your oral health. Experiencing unexplainable and sudden tooth pain calls for diagnosis from an expert emergency dentists to treat the problem.

Exposed tooth nerves

Exposed nerves are painful and get worse if ignored for a long period. It is recommended to seek dental assistance immediately to prevent worsening the condition. If left untreated, it may lead to severe damage or infection, eventually costing you more.  

Tooth knock–out

Knocked-out teeth can have a huge impact on your overall oral health. Moreover, it may affect the health of other teeth, and hence, tooth knock–out needs immediate professional help. The emergency dentist takes quick action. They work on reinserting and preserving the tooth. Take the following actions before visiting your dentist:

  • Pick up the knocked-out tooth (avoid touching the root) and rinse it with plain water.
  • Reinsert it in the socket. If reinserting isn’t possible, place it in water or milk.
  • Visit your dentist as soon as possible before it gets damaged  
  • Irritation or swelling in mouth or jaw unexpectedly  

It’s an emergency condition and needs immediate expert solution if there is swelling in your jaw or mouth suddenly without any apparent reason. There are high chances of irritation or infection in the lymph nodes. Or there could be other possible reasons for this condition needing immediate professional care. 

 Damaged dental crown

When your dental crown falls off or breaks, it leaves the tooth vulnerable and exposed to damage and infection. Schedule a visit to an emergency dentist to get the crown replaced. Leaving the condition untreated may lead to more damage and result in pricy dental treatments such as root canal extraction.

Missing tooth filling 

Missing tooth filling is an emergency as it may lead to breaking or chipping teeth without proper reinforcement. It exposes the tooth’s nerves to severe conditions and may lead to several dental issues requiring immediate treatment. Contact your dentist right away if you get this condition.

Objects or food stuck between your teeth. 

When an object or a food particle is stuck between the teeth, seek the help of your dentist at the earliest, as no amount of flossing or brushing will come to your rescue here. Removing the object on your own without professional help may lead to shifting of teeth and cause gum disease, infection, gum irritation, or tooth decay.

Dental abscess 

A dental abscess is a serious and life-threatening dental condition where a pocket of pus is formed in the tooth, leading to an infection. Tooth abscess causes fever, sensitivity in teeth, severe toothache, lymph nodes in the neck, face swelling, and pimple-like bump near the infected gum area. It’s an emergency condition as the infection may spread to the surrounding tissue and jaw. 

Common treatments for dental emergencies

Treating dental emergency conditions depends on the damage type and severity. Here are some examples of treatment for common dental emergencies.

  1. In cases of extreme tooth cracks or chips, or toothache, the expert treats an infection and repairs the tooth while providing the following solutions.
    • Antibiotic treatment
    • Extraction
    • Root canal treatment
    • Dental filling
  2. If you have a loose or broken tooth or whether your tooth has fallen off, the emergency dentist provides the following solutions –    
    • Antibiotic treatment
    • Dental filling
    • Reimplantation
    • Splinting
    • Root canal treatment 

What’s not considered a dental emergency? 

If you have an oral condition where you can wait a few days to get the treatment, it’s not a dental emergency. Some issues may be considered urgent initially, but you can wait for a few days if you take care of them. Here are some tips for different conditions for your help.

  • Minor toothache – If it isn’t severe pain and there is no abscess formation, you may delay your toothache treatment for a few days or weeks. However, it is recommended to seek immediate professional help if you have signs of swollen gums or a high fever.
     
  • Broken tooth – If your broken tooth isn’t hurting, then it isn’t a state of an emergency. But if you experience pain in your jaw or teeth, book an appointment with a dentist without delay. A broken tooth can be considered an emergency only if it results in extreme pain or if sharp fragments have been formed, which may cause injury in the mouth.  

Endnote

Once you identify your condition and determine whether you need emergency dental treatment, you should contact a dental expert at the earliest opportunity. When you book an appointment with the dental expert, explain your state and the problem for which you need emergency treatment. You can easily find potential options online in and around your area. 

Most general dental practitioners offer emergency treatment without any prior appointment or out of working hours. Check the expert’s credentials, qualifications, and experience for best-in-class treatment.