Most dental problems arise when you least expect them. You could be relaxing at home on a weekend, enjoying your almonds, and all of a sudden, you hear a crack. Other times, it is throbbing pain that will wake you in the middle of the night. When you are in this position, you must distinguish between a mere dental concern that can wait to be evaluated in the biannual dental checkup and a dental emergency that needs immediate attention. Here are signs that indicate you have a dental emergency so that you can seek immediate attention to save money and your teeth.

Overview of a Dental Emergency

Any dental issue that requires immediate attention from an emergency dentist to prevent infection, stop bleeding, or manage pain is a dental emergency. Some of these cases, especially those involving physical trauma to the teeth or gums, necessitate immediate attention because if you delay treatment, the condition could worsen, leading to a more expensive process or tooth loss. When you are in this situation, you should contact your emergency dentist to schedule an appointment or visit the emergency room at the hospital.

When you have a dental issue, you will have several questions racing through your mind. Are you overreacting? Should I visit the dentist immediately or wait until the following day? Not every dental problem is an emergency, and it is essential to ensure you are neither overreacting nor overlooking the issue. The best way to address a dental emergency is to know when you should call for a consultation or visit their clinic immediately.

Situations or Signs that are Deemed Dental Emergencies

Dental concerns or signs that are considered emergencies and require immediate medical care are:

Uncontrolled Bleeding in the Gums

Bleeding in the gums can happen due to an injury or physical trauma, tooth extraction, or postsurgery. After a tooth removal or surgery, it is normal for blood to ooze from the gums within the first 24 hours. However, the bleeding should not be excessive and must not persist for more than 24 hours. You should consider the bleeding as a dental emergency if:

  • Blood is uncontrollably flowing
  • You are changing your gauze every few minutes, and the bleeding has not stopped even with the application of pressure.
  • The blood loss is making you dizzy.

Unregulated bleeding can cause hypothermia, which is life-threatening and requires immediate medical intervention.

Another cause of gum bleeding is gum disease. In the early stages, the condition is called gingivitis and is characterized by bleeding gums when you brush. If you bleed after going for weeks without flossing your teeth, it is not an emergency, and you can wait for your routine dental visit for an examination.

Nevertheless, when the gingival tissue begins to bleed profusely and cause discomfort, it indicates that gingivitis has progressed to periodontitis. Under these circumstances, the gum bleeding qualifies as an emergency and requires the intervention of an emergency dentist.

Advanced periodontitis, unlike gingivitis, is irreversible. Therefore, when you experience profuse bleeding and aching in the gums, it is a sign that the gingivitis is progressing, and you need to schedule an emergency dental appointment before it is too late. If the disease progresses, you could lose your teeth or require costly treatment, which can be prevented with an early intervention by an emergency dentist.

When you visit the dentist, they will examine the gums and determine the severity of the injury, gum disease, or post-surgery complication causing the bleeding. If the gum disease is advanced, you may require surgical interventions such as bone or tissue grafts, bone surgery, tissue regeneration, or flap surgery.

Before visiting the dentist:

  • Rinse the mouth with hydrogen peroxide to control the bleeding
  • Rinse the mouth with salt water to manage bleeding and prevent bacterial infection
  • Place an ice pack on the impacted area of the cheek if the bleeding is caused by facial trauma to alleviate the pain.

Avulsed Tooth

An avulsed tooth has been entirely displaced from or knocked out of its socket and is at risk of dying within minutes when it dries up. You must act immediately and follow the required protocol to salvage the tooth.

First, retrieve that tooth by holding the chewing part or crown. Do not retrieve it by the root, as you will damage the delicate cells pivotal to reattachment. After retrieval, gently rinse the root using water to remove any dirt. When cleaning, do not scrub or extract any soft tissue attached to the tooth. Place a towel over the sink when cleaning so the tooth doesn't go down the drain if you accidentally drop it.

When the tooth is clean, gently return it to the socket if possible. Ensure it is facing the right direction before biting it down with gauze or a handkerchief. Not every patient can reinsert the tooth into the socket. Therefore, if you cannot do it, do not panic. Instead, place the tooth in a container or cup filled with milk or another tooth preservative.

The tooth must be returned to the socket as soon as possible. Therefore, the next step should be to contact your emergency dentist and schedule an appointment immediately. The reintegration success rate drops by the minute. The longer you stay without reimplanting the tooth, the poorer the prognosis. The dentist must reimplant the tooth within an hour; otherwise, it will no longer be viable.

A Loose or Misaligned Tooth

It is normal for children to have loose teeth, which fall off to make way for the permanent ones. However, in adults, a loose tooth may result from advanced gum disease or physical trauma; hence, the need to seek immediate intervention from an emergency dentist before it falls out.

If a loose tooth is not addressed early, it becomes a problem because it can aggravate the nearby jawbone and ligaments when you chew. Therefore, if you are in an accident and have suffered facial trauma causing a loose tooth, you should seek treatment immediately. The dentist will link the loose tooth to the healthy adjacent one for support until it reattaches to the ligaments and regains its stability.

If the loose tooth is not trauma-related and you are experiencing pain in the area, you must schedule an appointment immediately because you could be experiencing symptoms of an oral infection. The dentist will investigate the cause of the bacterial infection and administer the proper treatment.

Throbbing Toothache

Severe tooth pain, especially one that keeps you awake, should be alarming. It is a sign of several oral conditions, including irreversible pulpitis, tooth decay, caries, or dental abscess.

Pulpitis is a severe infection or death of the nerves and blood cells in the pulp. You experience excruciating pain at night when you have the condition because when you lie down, the blood pressure in the head becomes elevated. If the nerves in the tooth pulp are dead or severely infected, the high pressure increases your pain, which explains why the toothache worsens when you sleep.

Not all toothaches are severe and require immediate dental attention. However, when you experience severe toothache, something is wrong, and you need an emergency dentist. Signs that the pain is an emergency include:

  • Spontaneous pain that occurs without any triggers
  • The pain continues for minutes even after eliminating the stimulus
  • Other over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers are ineffective in managing the pain
  • The pain radiates to the ears and the other jaw

Before scheduling an appointment, you can manage pain at home by rinsing your mouth with warm water. If you have food debris stuck on the tooth that is causing the pain, you should try to remove it with floss gently. Apply an ice pack to the cheek if the face is swollen around the affected tooth. You can also take OTC painkillers, such as ibuprofen, but avoid aspirin.

The next step should be to visit the dentist immediately. Delaying treatment could lead to necrosis or the spread of infection to the root tip, resulting in a periapical abscess if you have pulpitis. Early treatment prevents more expensive, invasive procedures such as extraction and dental implants.

At the dental clinic, the emergency dentist will examine the affected tooth, order x-rays to determine the cause of the pain, and administer the appropriate treatment.

Dental Abscess

A dental abscess is a pus-filled pocket that forms inside the tooth, at the end of the tooth root, or between the gingival tissue and the tooth. An abscess qualifies as a dental emergency and requires immediate treatment. Failure to treat the condition early could cause the infection to spread to the bloodstream and the neck, causing life-threatening complications.

Your dental abscess is an emergency if you identify the following signs:

  • Swelling that extends past the gum margins, distorting the face
  • You can only open your mouth a few millimeters
  • You are having problems swallowing. This is a sign that the infection has spread to the neck
  • A fever. Fever is a sign that the infection has spread
  • Swelling below the chin

If you lift your tongue and notice swelling below the chin, you should visit the emergency room at the nearest hospital, as the inflammation could block the airways, causing breathing difficulties.

Before visiting the dentist, you can manage the pain from the abscess by rinsing your mouth with saltwater. The saline water will draw the pus to the surface, reducing the pain. When you arrive at the dental facility, the dentist will drain the pus from the pocket. However, if the infection has spread, they will administer intravenous (IV) antibiotics directly into the bloodstream, as oral antibiotics might not be sufficient to control the illness.

Severely Cracked or Chipped Teeth

A chip or crack on the tooth that does not extend past the tooth surface or enamel is not an emergency because it does not cause any pain. You can wait until your next dental appointment for the dentist to address it. Nevertheless, before your next appointment, you must be careful when chewing to avoid another chip or fracture, this time extending to the dentin and pulp. During treatment, the dentist will smooth the chip and then apply composite material to fix the problem.

A chip or fracture is severe if it extends to the dentin or pulp. Severe fractures are characterized by throbbing pain and usually expose the inner part of the teeth, increasing the risk of pulpitis or necrosis. Typically, bad fractures stem from facial trauma from a car accident or a contact sport accident.

You can tell if a fracture is an emergency if, when you breathe through your mouth, you experience pain in the tooth. Pain when you are breathing indicates that the fracture extends into the pulp and that the nerves are exposed. When the pulp is exposed, food debris and harmful bacteria can easily enter the pulp, leading to an infection. The pulp houses the nerves, blood vessels, and other living organisms that keep the tooth functioning. When the pulp is exposed, the risk of infection is high. An infection causes these living organisms to die. You might require a root canal to fix the problem.

Additionally, the chip could split the tooth into two if you continue chewing without seeking medical intervention.

Therefore, when you fracture or chip a tooth, and it is bad, you should visit an emergency dentist immediately and do the following:

  • Rinse the mouth thoroughly using warm water to remove food debris
  • If the chip or fracture stems from physical trauma to the face, apply an ice pack on the affected cheek to minimize the swelling.
  • Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to manage the pain
  • Do not apply painkillers such as aspirin or Orajel to the tooth, as they may cause gum irritation.

When you arrive at the dental facility or emergency room, your emergency dentist will order an X-ray to obtain a clear picture of the extent of the chip or fracture. If the fracture has damaged the pulp, a root canal procedure will be necessary. However, if the damage has only exposed the pulp, the dentist will perform a dental crown procedure to cover the entire tooth and prevent harmful bacteria or food debris from traveling to the pulp, thus preventing pulpitis.

The dental crown procedure you will undergo depends on whether the dentist fabricates permanent caps in-house or relies on outside dental laboratories. If the facility has the in-house technology to fabricate crowns, you will receive your permanent restorations on the same day. If they rely on another dental lab, you will wear the temporary restorations while you await the permanent ones.

If the tooth cannot be salvaged, the dentist will explain the available options. A tooth extraction will be the last resort. Even with an extraction, the dentist will explain treatments for replacing the missing teeth, such as implant-anchored crowns and bridges.

Severe Cuts to the Tongue, Cheek, or Lip

The soft tissues in your mouth, such as the tongue, lip, or cheek, comprise several blood vessels. Any soft-tissue injury qualifies as a dental emergency, especially if the bleeding is uncontrolled. Manage the bleeding by placing gauze on the wound. If the bleeding is on the tongue, pull it out, put a gauze on the wound, and apply force to stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding stops, place a cold compress on the site to reduce swelling.

Some soft-tissue injuries recover on their own without medical intervention. However, you must maintain proper oral hygiene and rinse your mouth with salt water to speed up recovery. If time passes and there are signs of an infection at the wound, the tissue injury becomes a dental emergency, and you should see a dentist immediately before the infection spreads and causes severe complications. The signs that the wound has developed an infection include fever, redness around the injury site, pain, tenderness, and inflammation.

If the bleeding does not stop, schedule an emergency appointment with your dentist. Also, if the cut on the cheek or tongue is extensive, you should consult an oral surgeon immediately.

Action to Take During a Dental Emergency

If you are experiencing signs of a dental emergency, first call a dental professional and explain your symptoms for proper instructions on how to proceed. Many dental experts have emergency contacts for patients to call after business hours. If you do not have an emergency dentist on speed dial, visit the ER in the nearest hospital.

Most dental emergencies can be addressed in the dental clinic or office. However, the severe ones, such as a fractured jawbone, could require you to visit the ER or a local hospital.

Preparing for Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies happen when you least expect them. Being prepared could be the difference between saving and losing the tooth. For these emergencies, pack and store a dental first aid kit and ensure it contains the following:

  • A tiny container with a lid to store a knocked-out tooth
  • The emergency contact or your dentist
  • Ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain management
  • A gauze or handkerchief

With these, even when you have an emergency, you can manage the symptoms before you meet the dentist.

Find a Reputable Emergency Dentistry Service Near Me

If you have a dental concern that is disrupting your life, such that you cannot sleep, work, concentrate, or eat, it is an emergency, and you should seek treatment right away. Dental emergencies rarely resolve on their own without medical intervention. Additionally, a timely response could be the difference between saving and losing teeth. When you experience a dental emergency, your first call should be to an emergency dentist for instructions.

At Ganji Dental, we understand dental emergencies, and you will not bother us if you call us with one. Our dental experts are available to address your needs even after hours. Call us at 310.643.8045 to schedule an appointment in Hawthorne, CA.