What You Need to Know in a Dental Emergency
Unfortunately, dental emergencies often happen at the most inconvenient times like the middle of the night, while on vacation, or before having established a local dentist. First, let's look at what’s a dental emergency and then what to do about it.
Dental Emergency Symptoms
- Are you in pain?
- What is the severity of pain?
- Is your face swollen?
- Is there bleeding?
- Did you break or knock out a tooth?
- Are any of your teeth suddenly loose?
- Is it painful to bite down?
Have you said
yes to any of these questions? Then, you likely have a dental emergency and need to contact your dentist for an emergency dental appointment.
What to do in a dental emergency?
Tooth Ache
Tooth pain can be incredibly painful and it may be too unbearable to wait until the dental office opens. Your first step is to call your dentist even during off hours. If you are an existing patient check if your office offers on-call emergency dentistry. If you are a new patient, this service may not be available to you, but nonetheless, you should leave a message so you will be contacted as soon as possible for an appointment.
Here you can find our
dental emergency contact information for the Salem, MA area.
If you can’t be seen by a dentist soon enough and the pain is intense, you can go to the hospital ER or urgent care. They will not be able to treat the tooth, but they can provide you with medications to help with pain and antibiotics if needed.
If your pain is not severe, still don’t delay in calling the dentist because it can quickly take a turn for the worst.
Injury
Types of dental injuries that need immediate emergency treatment include a knocked out tooth. This injury is very common especially with children that play sports. You will want to make an emergency appointment as sometimes the knocked out tooth can be reinserted and saved, check out this article on how to handle a knocked out tooth.
A cracked or broken tooth also needs prompt treatment as this can allow bacteria into the tooth and lead to infection and decay. If you have no pain a chipped tooth is not an emergency, but an appointment should still be made to prevent any risk of decay, further chipping, or cutting your cheeks or tongue on sharp edges.
If the injury is on the soft tissue like cheeks, gums, lips, and or tongue, then gently rinse with warm water. If the injury is also bleeding, place gauze in the injured area until you can be seen for an emergency dental appointment.
If the injury is the result of a head or neck injury go to the ER or your general doctor first, to be assessed for more serious injuries.
Swellings
Do you have facial swelling? If so, you need to schedule an emergency dental appointment. This can be caused by a dental infection and should be treated promptly, untreated dental infections can spread throughout the body and become life-threatening.
Swelling noticed on your gums or a bubble near the root of a tooth, is likely a dental abscess and needs prompt dental treatment. This indicates an infection and needs to be treated, call your local dentist and explain your condition to them so they can schedule you for treatment. You will likely be prescribed antibiotics and scheduled for an examination to determine the treatment needed.
When to go to the ER for a dental emergency?
If you are not established with a dentist, and can’t be seen for an emergency dental appointment soon enough, an emergency room or urgent care can provide pain relief and help with treating an infection until you can be seen by the dentist.
Severe pain, heavy bleeding, or facial swelling needs prompt attention, it is best to seek treatment immediately.
If you have experienced a head or neck injury you need to be assessed by a physician for more serious injuries before any dental visits.
Conclusion
Severe pain or any of the dental symptoms listed above need prompt dental treatment, please don’t wait to seek help. If you are in the Salem MA area and have a dental emergency, please click here to reach us. *
