You wake up with nagging pain in your mouth. You spend the morning wondering if you’ll end up in the dentist’s chair by lunchtime. The pain goes away and you go on with your day.
This time you avoided that unplanned trip to the dentist. In case your tooth pain comes back, we can help you figure out if you should call now or wait until tomorrow.
Tooth pain is only one situation where you might need emergency dental services. We’ve put together information about that and a few other top signs you should schedule time with your dentist sooner rather than later.
A Pain in the Tooth
Toothaches are, decidedly, one of the most painful (and annoying) scenarios associated with having teeth. A toothache can stop your day before it even gets started if it’s bad enough. But how do you when pain in the tooth is an emergency?
First, tooth pain takes place on two levels. One means you avoid drinking ice cold beverages. The other level of tooth pain makes focusing on anything other than your mouth nearly impossible.
When the pain ebbs and flows and you can control it with an occasional over the counter pain medication, you can probably wait until the dentist can put you on the schedule. If pain suddenly worsens or won’t go away at all, you may need emergency care.
That kind of pain could mean an abscess. It could also mean you have a cavity or a cracked tooth. If it’s an abscess, waiting for treatment could result in an infection that spreads to other parts of your body.
Your Face Is Swollen
A night of crying because you watched the latest tear-jerker is one cause of a swollen face. An abscess or gum infection can also cause swelling in your cheek or along your jaw.
If the swelling is minimal and you don’t have pain, you probably don’t need emergency dental services. Instead, apply a cold pack and see if the swelling doesn’t go down. Depending on the cause, it could take a week or two for swelling to completely go away
If you have extreme pain and severe swelling, seek treatment immediately!
You Can Wiggle a Tooth
Unless you a child between the ages of 6-12, you should not have loose teeth!
If you’re a grown-up and you can wiggle your teeth, you need care as soon as possible. Even if you don’t have pain, you should still seek quick treatment.
Loose adult teeth may mean you have a tooth injury. It could also be evidence of an infection in a tooth or your gums. Loose teeth accompanied by bleeding gums usually means you have advanced gum disease.
Don’t wait for the tooth to fall out. Taken care of immediately, your dentist can likely save your tooth and prevent further progress if you do indeed have gum disease.
Do You Need Emergency Dental Services?
We’ve shared 3 common signs of the need for immediate dental care. Bleeding gums, strange taste in your mouth, headaches that won’t go away, and numbness in a tooth that previously hurt are other signs you should seek emergency dental services.
If you’re experiencing any of these, or you need an appointment for routine dental care, we’re here for you! To schedule a visit, contact us today.
