What Would Be Considered a Dental Emergency?
February 10, 2023
Emergency Dental Care
There’s a lot to consider when you’re looking at the state of your teeth. You want to make sure that they look good, but you also want to keep them healthy and strong. When your teeth are feeling great, it can be difficult to think about dental emergencies—but they do happen! If you’re unsure what would be considered an emergency, here’s what we recommend:
A Toothache
A toothache is a common dental emergency and one that can be treated by a dentist without any symptoms. A toothache occurs when the nerve in your jaw gets irritated or inflamed, causing severe pain in the affected area. This type of pain generally lasts for several days and can cause you to avoid eating or drinking because it’s too painful to do so.
If you have a severe case of an oral infection, it’s important to see your dentist immediately so they can treat it properly and prevent further damage from occurring.
A Tooth Infection
A tooth infection is a condition that can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, and it’s fairly common. The symptoms of this condition include pain, swelling and redness in your gums around the affected tooth. You may also experience loss of appetite and fever as it worsens over time. In addition to these symptoms being present at first, they will likely get worse before they get better over time if left untreated.
If you think you have an infected tooth (or any other dental issue), seek medical attention immediately so your dentist can evaluate whether or not there’s actually something wrong with your mouth!
Pain When Brushing or Flossing
Pain while brushing or flossing is a common complaint. It can be caused by an injury, oral infection or gingival inflammation. Pain that occurs after dental work may also be related to your dentist’s technique and/or equipment used during the procedure.
The first step in treating the pain associated with brushing or flossing is to determine if there’s an underlying cause for your discomfort that requires further evaluation by your dentist (for example toothache). If you think this might be the case, visit us today!
Soreness While Chewing Something That Is Especially Hard Or Sensitive
Pain in the jaw when you chew something that’s especially hard or sensitive can be a sign of a dental emergency. For example, if you’ve been experiencing pain while chewing on something like a piece of dry toast, it could mean that there is an injury to one of your teeth. This type of soreness may also occur if you have braces on one side of your mouth and are trying to eat foods with rough textures such as nuts and popcorn kernels. In some cases, this type of condition may signal an abscessed tooth (a pocket under the gum) which needs urgent attention by a dentist as soon as possible!
Swelling Of The Face, Lips Or Tongue
If you experience swelling in the face, lips or tongue, it could be a sign of a dental emergency. Swelling around your teeth can also be an indication that there’s an issue with your dentist.
If you have any of these symptoms and they persist for more than three days, make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.
Conclusion
If your child experiences any of these symptoms, then you should seek immediate medical attention. The longer you wait to get help, the greater the risk of permanent damage and even death from an infection that can spread to other parts of the body.