Dental Emergency

Knowing what to do when you experience a dental problem and are away from your dentist is very important. It’s also important to know what is considered a true dental emergency and what is not. Here are a few common dental problems and how to handle them.

Gums can bleed due to a variety of causes, such as:

• Vigorous brushing or flossing
• Trauma or injury
• Periodontal disease

One way to determine if bleeding gums is a dental emergency or not is to know what led up to the condition. For example, it’s not uncommon to be overly vigorous with brushing and flossing, leading to some minor bleeding around the gums. This would not be an emergency. Simply ease off a bit next time. 

On the other hand, if your bleeding gums occurred after some type of injury or trauma, this would be a reason to contact an emergency dentist right away. Even though this type of bleeding often resolves itself on its own, you may have some damage to your teeth or the structures within your mouth that is not immediately evident.

If you suspect gum disease, this is a serious situation but not a dental emergency. Make an appointment soon with your dentist to get it looked at.

The fact that your natural teeth should remain in their sockets is a no-brainer. If you should ever have a tooth get knocked out, or fall out, this is an emergency requiring urgent attention. Many times, an emergency dentist, or your regular dentist, can replace such a tooth if you act right away.

In the case of a knocked out tooth, pick up the tooth only by its chewing surface. If it’s dirty, gently rinse it off with room temperature water. You can place it in a container of milk or salt water. Contact your dentist right away, and bring the tooth with you. In most cases, a missing tooth can be replaced if attempted within an hour or so.

Although it can be alarming to lose a filling or crown, it’s not always an emergency that requires immediate attention. However, don’t delay in setting up an appointment to have it checked out.

Restorations like fillings and crowns are placed to protect teeth that have been damaged. So a missing restoration leaves the tooth vulnerable once again. Make an appointment soon to have the missing or damaged restoration replaced to prevent tooth decay or further damage to the tooth.

When it comes to looking for an “emergency dentist near me,” you need to know if you are dealing with a true emergency or not. However, in the heat of the moment, you may not always know what qualifies as an actual dental emergency.

In the case of severe pain, you should always consider this to be a dental emergency requiring urgent care. If you are in doubt about whether a particular situation represents an emergency or not, play it safe and reach out to your regular dentist or emergency dentist right away. Learn more with a consultation today.