What is a Dental Emergency?

If you’re faced with a dental issue, a dental expert ought to be your first could. However, when you encounter problems on the weekend, in the middle of the night, or on vacation, you may not know who to call. In those cases, you need emergency dental services. However, you might find yourself wondering, “What is a dental emergency?” At South High Dental, we have the answers to that question and many more. Contact our dentist’s office in Columbia, Ohio today to learn more about our emergency dental services and other programs.

What is a Dental Emergency?

Many people experience dental or oral pain on a day to day basis. As a result, while dental emergencies are common, many people don’t know that they’re dealing with one. Furthermore, not every dental pain qualifies as an emergency. If you’re trying to determine what a dental emergency is, and whether you’re dealing with one, as yourself these helpful questions:

How severe is your pain level? If you are bleeding and in significant pain, these are signs that you’re facing a dental emergency.
Do you have loose teeth, or have you lost a tooth? Adults shouldn’t be losing teeth, making loose teeth a significant problem that you need to take seriously. If you’ve already lost a tooth, getting treatment quickly can save the tooth.
Is the tooth infected? If you have a severe infection or abscess in your mouth, you shouldn’t wait to get treatment, because your life may be in danger. If you see swelling in your face or gums, get treatment immediately.
Is your mouth bleeding? Bloodloss can be a sign of an emergency, though this is not always the case.

A good rule of thumb is that dental problems that require fast treatment to put a stop to pain or bleeding are emergencies. Furthermore, if you need to act quickly to save a tooth or to prevent a severe infection, emergency dental services should be your next step. In short, if you see these symptoms, you may need to get help. Call our dentist’s office as soon as possible, and tell them what happened. Our emergency dentist can determine whether you need immediate treatment or if you can wait until the next available appointment. However, whatever you do, please do not panic. Doing so helps no one and may actually be harmful.

What is Not a Dental Emergency

If your problem can wait a few days for your dentist to make an appointment to see you, it is not a dental emergency. At times, oral problems may seem dangerous, but they can usually wait a couple of days. For instance, cracking or chipping a tooth may or may not be an emergency. If the fracture left sharp fragments in your mouth or is painful, this constitutes as an emergency. However, if the chipped tooth doesn’t hurt, you should make an appointment with your dentist.

As long as the pain isn’t too bad and you’re not seeing any swelling, a toothache is also not usually a dental emergency. Simply make an appointment with your dentist to see you in the next few days. Additionally, if you’ve lost a filling or crown, stick a piece of sugar-free gum in the cavity, or try to put it back in place with a dental adhesive. However, it would be unwise to use superglue.