When Is Tooth Pain A Dental Emergency?
Tooth pain is an indicator that you may need to seek dental care. It can be difficult to determine if tooth pain requires immediate attention from your dentist or can be managed with self-care for a day or two. Sometimes tooth pain can be a sign of an urgent, possibly life-threatening condition that must be treated in the emergency room.
Common Causes of Tooth Pain
Cavities and dental decay are the most common causes of tooth pain. The pain often stems from inflammation of the tooth pulp. Other sources of pain include damage to a filling or crown, a dislodged or loose tooth due to injury, and abscesses or other types of infection.
Urgent Conditions
If you have urgent tooth pain or other serious dental issues, you may need to see your dentist as soon as possible. Many dentists keep time slots available throughout the day to see patients with dental emergencies. In some cases, you could be referred to an emergency dental clinic for treatment. Some emergency dental conditions that require prompt care include:
- Severe tooth pain that is not alleviated with over-the-counter pain medication.
- Significant crack in a tooth.
- Dry socket following oral surgery.
- Knocked-out tooth.
- Broken orthodontic wire that is cutting into soft tissue.
- Broken filling or crown.
- Abscess with swelling or other visible signs of infection.
Emergency Situations
A patient with an urgent dental condition that occurs outside of office hours may need to seek treatment at a hospital emergency room because a dentist is unavailable. More serious dental emergencies can be life-threatening and require care at an emergency room, such as:
- Severe dental trauma that involves broken facial bones.
- Significant bleeding that won't stop.
- Advanced stages of infection.
- Dental trauma or swelling that causes airway blockage.
Non-Urgent Dental Issues
Non-urgent dental issues can be managed at home overnight or over the weekend until you can see your dentist during office hours. Conditions such as dull tooth pain, a stuck object, minor bleeding, or a small chip in a tooth do not need to be treated as dental emergencies. Rinsing the mouth with warm water and taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help to alleviate some discomfort until you can see the dentist. An object stuck between teeth may be dislodged with flossing. Gentle pressure with gauze can stop minor bleeding.
Contact Your Dental Office
Call your dentist's office as soon as you feel you may need urgent dental treatment. The staff can determine if you should come into the office right away or proceed to the emergency room. The office may refer you to an emergency dentist for treatment if there is one in your area. For non-urgent conditions, they may provide you with instructions for home care and schedule an appointment for a later date.
Contact an emergency dentist to learn more.