Emergency Dental Care: What's Considered a Dental Emergency?

dental-emergency

While a simple toothache may seem benign, the truth is that a toothache isn’t something you want to take lightly. It’s your mouth’s way of telling you to that something isn’t right and to take a closer look. While a minor toothache may not be considered a dental emergency, a sudden and unexplainable one needs to be treated very quickly.

Here’s a deep dive into Common Dental Emergencies.

With National Toothache Day approaching quickly on Feb. 9, 2022, we thought we’d chat about toothaches and all things dental emergency. It’s a great day to remember that your oral health is so important for a happy, healthy life!

Learn More about National Toothache Day.

What is a Dental Emergency?

A dental emergency is identified as anything that requires immediate dental care. Whether it is to stop incessant bleeding, save a tooth, treat a dire infection, or decrease severe discomfort, urgent care is needed. Some of the most common dental emergencies are pain resulting from inflammation and broken teeth.

Whatever the cause of acute oral discomfort you are experiencing in the Lee’s Summit area, emergency dental care is available at Premier Dental. If you are experiencing pain or you are uncertain whether your situation requires immediate attention or not, consider the information below to help you choose a correct course of action.

Emergencies stem from a variety of causes and dental professionals can provide the necessary care. Receiving an assessment and subsequent treatment for the diagnosis is crucial to your recovery.

The Nine Most Common Dental Emergencies We See

Swollen Jaw/Mouth: If your mouth or jaw swells for no apparent reason, visit us immediately. It could be irritation, infection, lymph nodes, or something else.
Unexplainable Toothache: If you have a sudden, out-of-the-blue toothache, it’s important to reach out quickly to discover the source of the pain. While over-the-counter pain meds and a cold compress can help temporarily, it’s good to get to the source of the pain sooner rather than later; your odds of a minor fix will be much greater the faster you see your dentist.
Bleeding or Swollen Gums: Some minor bleeding or irritation here and there is usually just fine and not concerning. However, if your gums won’t stop bleeding and is accompanied with swelling, it can often mean there’s an underlying health or dental issue that needs to be addressed.
Knocked-out Tooth/Teeth: If you’ve ever had a tooth knocked out, you know what a shock that can be. When you act quickly after a tooth has been knocked out, it’s possible that we may be able to reinsert your tooth. Pick up the tooth carefully, try not to touch the root, and gently rinse. Try to reinsert the tooth into the socket, but if you can’t, place in a small container of milk until you see your dentist.
Exposed Nerves: Exposed nerves can be very painful, so see your dentist ASAP to avoid prolonging any intense pain.
Missing Filling: Having a filling that is missing can make the changes of a chipped or cracked tooth much greater because the tooth isn’t being properly supported.
Broken Crown: If a dental crown falls off or completely breaks, it leaves your tooth very vulnerable. Schedule with us quickly to possibly avoid a root canal or extraction.
Food or Object Lodged in Teeth: If an object piece or stubborn piece of food gets lodged, brushing and flossing won’t help. Get professional help quickly to remove the food/object and prevent any decay or irritation.
Abscessed Tooth: A dental abscess is very serious and can even be life threatening, so it’s something to take incredibly seriously. An abscess is a pocket of puss that has led to an infection. It can cause hot/cold sensitivity, a fever, a prolonged toothache, swollen lymph nodes, a pimple-like bump on your gums, and swelling in the face.

Check out some Tips for Dental Emergencies.

Premier Dental Provides Emergency Dental Care

Premier Dental offers many emergency dental services. Should you be experiencing severe, pain, swelling, tooth loss, or any other conditions that require urgent care, contact our office in Lee’s Summit immediately. Our team of experts will work swiftly and meticulously to alleviate pain and solve the issue. If you’re concerned about a dental emergency or have any questions, please give us a call today or contact us to receive reliable emergency dental care.

Dr. Stephan Caye and his friendly, experienced team at Premier Dental offer affordable family dentistry and tooth replacement options in the Lee’s Summit, MO area. Our office is conveniently located off of Highway 50 and SE Blue Parkway. We offer appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At Premier Dental, we provide most dental health services, from family and general dentistry to specialty procedures, including endodontic or root canal treatment, teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry, emergency dental care and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Please call us at (816) 600-6330 to schedule an appointment.