What is a dental emergency?
A dental emergency primarily means that the patient is having a lot of pain or some breakage. Maybe a tooth broke, a filling broke, or a crown broke. Pain and any kind of breakage are considered a dental emergency. Another emergency that can happen is swelling. If you suddenly get a swollen face, a swollen gum area, or a swollen lymph node of some sort, that is also considered a dental emergency.
When should you call the dentist versus go to the emergency room?
As soon as you start developing pain, some kind of swelling, or if you had an accident and something broke off, or a crown or filling came out, immediately give us a call. But if it's very late at night and something terrible has happened, immediately go to the emergency room. Also, if you're not able to get ahold of your dentist, go to the emergency room right away.
How are emergency dental exams different from regular dental exams?
Regular dental exams are done on a routine basis. They are not emergent. They are done as part of a checkup, cleaning, or maybe when a filling is needed. But an emergency dental exam is basically when you're having pain, discomfort, or swelling of some sort. Also, call 911 immediately if you're having shortness of breath or the swelling is rapidly getting larger and larger, and you cannot stop it.
What is the most common dental emergency?
The most common dental emergency is pain. Pain can happen because maybe you ate something super hard, and that irritated the tooth. Another cause of tooth pain is a cavity. It can be a regular cavity that's causing sensitivity, or it could be a deep cavity irritating the nerve of the tooth and causing severe pain, so much so that maybe you're not able to sleep at night, and it's a throbbing kind of pain. Come in and see your dentist immediately. They will recommend treatment and may start you on medications, maybe even antibiotics if needed.
What should you do if you break a tooth or injure your mouth?
The second most common dental emergency is if you have had some kind of accident. You fell down, or something hit your face, and you broke your tooth. In that case, it could involve a laceration of your lip. Your lip can get cut, your tongue can get cut, your cheek can get cut, or some breakage of your tooth can happen. That's another kind of dental emergency, so talk to your dentist or call them immediately.
What should you do if you wake up with facial swelling?
The third kind of dental emergency is some kind of facial swelling. You went to sleep at night, and in the morning, you woke up, and your face is swollen. It could be that the doctor had recommended something for you in the past that was supposed to get done, and in the meantime, the swelling happened. Talk to your doctor.
Is wisdom teeth pain an emergency?
A fourth kind of dental emergency is wisdom teeth pain, where patients are not able to open their mouths due to irritation around the wisdom teeth. Call your doctor immediately. They may start you on some pain medication and possibly some antibiotics. These are some of the most commonly caused dental emergencies.
What do I do if I have bleeding gums?
First and foremost, immediately brush and floss your teeth, and floss really well. Take your floss all the way to your gum area and try to clean everything as much as you can. Eventually, the gums may get better, but also go in for your checkup or exam with your dentist to make sure everything is okay and that nothing is stuck there. Get your cleanings done regularly.
At Capitol Dentists, you come first. Whether you need dental care or simply have questions, call us at (202) 223-2070 or email [email protected] to schedule your visit. Our team is here to help you every step of the way.
