Emergency dental care covers any dental or oral issue that requires immediate professional attention. People may consider different kinds of dental issues to be an emergency, but not every dental situation is an emergency. Most of the time, you may need to take a trip to the dentist or emergency room to know if you have an emergency. However, any dental issue that comes with severe discomfort or pain requires immediate attention.
With dental emergencies, immediate action is always required to address severe discomfort, pain, or trauma to the mouth. An emergency dental situation may involve lacerations to the gum, bleeding, infection, or fractured teeth.
What Is Considered an Emergency?
As we have already mentioned, not every situation is considered a dental emergency. So, what are the symptoms to look for before going to the emergency room?
A Cracked or Broken Tooth
Suppose your tooth is broken or cracked due to a painful impact or trauma. Before visiting your dentist, rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress for swelling.
A Knocked-Out Tooth
If your tooth is knocked out, make sure you do not touch the tooth root. Try using a cold compress for bleeding and place the tooth between your gum and cheek if possible before visiting your dentist.
Tooth and Jaw Pain
If you’re experiencing tooth or jaw pain, the pain may come with some swelling, accompanied by a sour taste or even fever. Difficulty swallowing and fever symptoms could be signs of an infection, and therefore, require immediate attention. If you experience pain with an abscessed tooth from your tooth’s pulp canal, you may require drainage, root canal, or antibiotics.
Aching or Bleeding Gum
Frequent excessive bleeding accompanied by aching gums is always a severe emergency and can also be an indicator of periodontal disease. The proper treatment for these cases will depend on the severity.
Injury to the Soft Tissue
Such injuries include severe cuts or bites on the tongue or lips. Before you visit the hospital for stitches, you can try cleaning the area gently with water and applying a cold compress to reduce bleeding.