What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?

Dental Concepts Irving emergency dentists are there for you when you need them most. With same-day emergency dental appointments, we can diagnose the cause of your discomfort and provide immediate pain relief. Our emergency dental services also avoid oral health complications that could do lasting damage.

Emergency dentistry plays a critical role in treating urgent cases such as acute toothache and oral injury or infection. Sometimes, though, what may feel like a dental emergency doesn’t require immediate attention. You can find out here what constitutes a dental emergency, how our Irving dentists treat urgent oral health issues, and what you should do in a dental emergency.

Dental Problems That Need Emergency Treatment

A dental emergency is a problem that requires immediate treatment to ease severe pain.

Issues that may need emergency dental care include:

• Broken tooth.
• Infected tooth.
• Knocked-out tooth.
• Loose tooth.
• Dental abscess.
• Dental trauma caused by an accident.

Soft-tissue injuries such as serious damage to the cheeks, lips or tongue are also considered urgent cases.

Symptoms that indicate you may need emergency dental treatment include:

• Swollen jaw. Swelling around the jaw and neck may mean an oral infection is starting to spread to other parts of your body such as vital organs. This can lead to a potentially life-threatening situation.
• Bad taste in the mouth. A persistent strange taste or odor in the mouth might be a sign of tooth infection.

Dangers of a Dental Abscess

A dental abscess – an infection that causes a build-up of pus in the gums or teeth – can be extremely dangerous without emergency treatment. It can cause blood poisoning (septicemia), and inflammation may spread to surrounding bone and the brain.

Symptoms of a dental abscess include:

• Severe toothache or pain in the gums.
• Facial swelling.
• Swollen jaw.
• Ear, neck or jaw pain.
• Sensitivity to hot or cold foods or drinks.
• Discomfort when eating.
• Difficulty opening your mouth and chewing.
• Redness inside the mouth or on the face or jaw.
• High temperature.

Emergency Dental Treatments

In most cases, a dental emergency is far less serious than other medical emergencies. It can still be an ordeal, however, especially if you’re in severe pain. Emergency dentistry provides vital, fast pain relief and at least a temporary solution to what’s causing the issue. The type of emergency dental care you get will depend on what’s causing the problem. Your emergency dentist will diagnose the underlying issue with a full dental examination, and X-rays if necessary.

Emergency dental care typically includes:

• Prescribing pain relief medication.
• Prescribing antibiotics to fight dental infection.
• Applying a dressing to a damaged tooth.
• Reinserting a knocked-out tooth.
• Extracting a tooth that’s beyond repair.
• Root canal treatment for a severely infected tooth.
• Draining a dental abscess.

Whatever your dental emergency, you’ll almost certainly need a follow-up appointment.

What Should I Do in a Dental Emergency?

In the event of a dental emergency, call our Irving dental office straight away on (469) 702-8482. Keep this number handy and you won’t have to frantically search online for “emergency dentist near me.” Meanwhile, there are certain measures you can take to ease discomfort while you wait a few hours for your emergency dental appointment.

Severe Toothache

If you have severe toothache, take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen to reduce swelling and ease pain. Rinse your mouth with warm water and hold an icepack to your face.

Broken Tooth

If you’ve broken a tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water. Apply a gauze dressing to staunch bleeding and hold a cold compress to your face. Take over-the-counter pain medication.

Knocked-Out Tooth

If you have a tooth that’s been knocked out, your Irving emergency dentist may be able to put it back in place. Keep the tooth in a sealed container of milk or salted water.

Facial Swelling

Severe swelling of the face can indicate a serious oral infection. Drink plenty of water and avoid lying down ahead of your emergency treatment.

Tongue Injury

If you bite your tongue, in some cases it may bleed profusely and become infected. Pack the area with gauze to minimize bleeding and suck an ice cube.

Should You Go to the ER for Emergency Dental Treatment?

A hospital Emergency Room is unlikely to have the capabilities to provide appropriate treatment if you have a dental crisis. Unlike emergency dentists, ER doctors can usually offer only limited care for dental emergencies. And a visit to the emergency room is extremely costly and may only result in referral to a dentist.

What Isn’t a Dental Emergency?

Some situations may seem like a dental emergency but don’t actually require urgent treatment. For instance, a chipped or cracked tooth that doesn’t hurt only needs emergency treatment if it has sharp edges that could damage your mouth. Mild toothache can usually wait for treatment as long as you don’t have symptoms of an abscess. If a dental crown or filling has been dislodged, you can wait a few days to see your dentist. Broken dentures aren’t an emergency and can be dealt with at a routine dental appointment.

Can You Avoid a Dental Emergency?

You’ll be at less risk of a dental emergency if you ensure your teeth and gums stay in good condition. This involves a routine of frequent brushing and flossing and getting a dental checkup and professional teeth cleaning every six months. You can lessen the risk of dental trauma by using a mouthguard for sports and wearing a seatbelt in a car.

Emergency Dentistry at Dental Concepts

You may never need emergency dental care, but you never know when you or a family member might require the help of Dental Concepts for an urgent dental problem. Emergency dentistry at our Irving dental office gives you immediate, high-priority access to crucial treatment.

We ensure openings are available in our schedules for patients needing urgent dental care and will offer you the next available emergency appointment, including outside usual practice hours. We can also help you relieve some of the stress of a dental emergency by offering advice on simple steps you can take ahead of your emergency appointment.

If you find yourself in a dental emergency, call our Irving practice on (469) 702-8482.