What Is Considered a Dental Emergency?

Unfortunately, dental discomfort and even pain can be quite common. For example, you might hurt your tooth biting down on a piece of hard candy or experience sensitivity when eating some delicious ice cream. So, how can you tell when it’s time to visit your dentist for emergency treatment? We’ve written this guide on how to tell when it’s a dental emergency.

How to Know If It’s a Dental Emergency

Here are some of the questions you need to ask yourself to determine whether you should see your emergency dentist:

• Have you lost a tooth? If you’re an adult who has knocked out a permanent tooth, that is one of the most urgent dental emergencies. You only have about an hour before the chances of your dentist successfully reattaching your tooth decrease significantly.
• Are you in serious pain? Severe dental pain, especially paint that doesn’t subside with over-the-counter pain medications, is a sign of an emergency.
• Do you have loose teeth? Loose teeth might be cute when you’re a kid, but if you’re an adult, they should be treated right away. You could be in danger of losing your tooth forever.
• Do you have an infection? One of the main signs of infection is intense swelling, as well as pain. Dental infections may not seem like a big deal, but they can rapidly spread to the rest of your mouth and even other body parts if you don’t get the infection treated in a timely fashion.
• Are you bleeding? Bleeding is one of the main signs of an emergency. Even if you’re able to get the bleeding under control with gauze or cloth, still see your dentist to determine the cause of the bleeding and see if any further treatment is needed.

What’s Not an Emergency

Generally, if a problem can wait a few days, it doesn’t count as a dental emergency. Sometimes problems that seem critical at first can actually wait a while if you follow the correct protocol.

For example, if you have a chipped or cracked tooth that’s bleeding or in serious pain, that’s an emergency. However, if your tooth is chipped but not hurting, that can wait a few days for treatment.

Another example would be a lot crown or filling. Your tooth may be vulnerable without its protection, but if you can avoid chewing with it, you should be fine for a few days until you can get to your dentist.

To avoid potential emergency situations, it’s best to stick to a regular routine of daily brushing and flossing and biannual checkups with your dentist. They can then stop oral health problems like toothaches or loose teeth before they even reach emergency status. If you’re not sure whether your situation counts as an emergency, don’t hesitate to call your dentist!

About the Author

Dr. Karen Ho has been working in the dental field for nearly 20 years and counting. She regularly takes upwards of 50 hours of continuing education courses a year to better hone her skills. If you call her Campbell, CA practice with a dental emergency, her friendly and helpful team will instruct you on next steps to take. To learn more, contact Dr. Ho’s office at (408) 558-9444.