Dental emergencies are any issues with your teeth and gums, requiring immediate treatment to ease severe pain and stop bleeding. They can happen anytime. For instance, you may be playing volleyball, and then you accidentally take a hard hit to your jaw, or you may be trying to learn skateboarding until you fall face-first onto the sidewalk. When this happens, you can knock out a tooth or more and require immediate medical attention. 

On the other hand, keep in mind that not all dental issues are actual emergencies. To learn more about what is considered a dental emergency and when should you seek prompt care, here are some situations when emergency dental care is necessary:

Your tooth falls out

When your tooth falls out or gets knocked out, it is considered a dental emergency, and time is of the essence. You have to get in to see your dentist within an hour to increase your chances of saving your tooth. 

While you are on the way to the dental clinic, you need to keep the dislodged tooth moist and clean in the meantime. Pick it up by the crown and gently place it back in the socket. Make sure to avoid touching the root if you can. If that’s impossible, you can place the tooth in a cup of slightly salted water or cold milk. Bring it with you to the dentist.

You have a severe toothache or facial swelling

Toothaches are rarely an emergency, but they could indicate an underlying condition that requires immediate attention. For instance, if you have an unexplained swelling around a tooth or sores on your gums, you need immediate attention. The same goes for when you have oral sores or a severe toothache that doesn’t go away after a few days. Fortunately, an emergency dentist can help you. 

Your tooth chips, breaks, or cracks

If your tooth breaks, cracks, or chips, collect the tooth fragments, rinse your mouth with warm water, and book a dental appointment. In the meantime, apply a cold compress or ice pack on your jaw to ease any pain or swelling and avoid foods that are too hard, cold, or hot.

Your dentist will determine the treatment you need. If you have a minor chip or crack, your tooth can be repaired with a filling. However, you might require a dental crown if it’s a bigger crack or chip to protect what is left of your tooth. If your tooth cracks all the way through, you likely need implant dentistry.

You have an abscessed tooth

If you notice pain, swelling, pus, and redness at the root of your tooth, you likely have a tooth with an abscess or a bacterial infection. It has the potential to be life-threatening since the infection could spread throughout your body, so make sure to reach out to your dentist as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Dealing with dental emergencies can stress you out and even ruin your budget. Therefore, it’s best to prepare for them ahead of time. Remember the situations listed above that require emergency dental care so you can have a plan in place and reach out to a reliable dentist right away to avoid worrying about the unexpected.

If you’re looking for the best dentist in Markham, then you’ve come to the right place. At Nasser Dentistry, our multilingual staff offers a wide range of dental services, including root canal therapy, extractions, dental fillings, and more in Ontario. Aside from emergencies, we accept new patients and walk-ins. Contact us to learn more about what we offer!