When you have a dental problem, you need to know if the issue can wait until you get an appointment with your dental clinic or if you have an emergency that needs to be treated right away. Here are some dental emergencies that can't wait. The sooner you get in for treatment, the healthier your oral outcome will be.

Knocked out tooth

You can get a tooth knocked out if you've been hit in the face or have an accident while playing sports. Since a tooth has live nerves and a tender root system, the sooner a tooth is treated when you have the fixture knocked out, the greater chance you have of being able to salvage the tooth.

Don't wait to call your dentist to have your tooth checked out. Your mouth is also at risk of infection where the tooth was lost. If you can recover the tooth, place it in your mouth to protect the nerves and roots or place the tooth in a container of milk and seek treatment right away. A dental clinic will be able to treat your dental emergency as soon as you walk in.

Broken braces

If you or your children wear braces and a bracket breaks or comes loose, you need to seek dental care as soon as you can. A loose bracket can cause cuts in the mouth or other irritation, and without treatment the entire braces can be compromised, leading to an expensive repair. Call your dentist right away if braces become loose or break in some areas, even if the damage appears to be minor and isn't irritating.

Severe dental pain

A cavity is often ignored or not noticed until dental pain becomes severe. You can have a throbbing pain in your tooth, gums, or jaw that is unbearable. A severely injured or decaying tooth can become very painful and needs to be treated or pulled to prevent infection in your mouth.

While there are home remedies and over the counter agents you can use to alleviate pain temporarily, don't go this route to avoid going to the dentist. You put your oral health at risk when you ignore the signs of severe or even mild tooth pain. Your dentist will treat your dental condition and prescribe antibiotics or painkillers if they are necessary to help you heal.

If you aren't sure you have a dental emergency, call your dental clinic anyhow. Your dentist will determine how severe your condition is.

Share