What is Considered a Dental Emergency?
December 29, 2021
If you experience tissue injury or accompanying facial pain, then it may be a dental emergency! An abscess or infection can be potentially life-threatening. For severe pain in the mouth, you should see a dentist immediately to have the tooth examined and treatment determined.
Still, not every dental pain should be considered an emergency. These questions can help you decide:
- Do you have severe pain? Severe pain suggests an emergency
- Have you lost a tooth? Sometimes a tooth can be saved, but emergency attention is required.
- Do you have loose teeth? An adult tooth that is loose or has fallen out, even in absence of pain, is a problem.
- Do you have an infection? Treatment of an abscess or infection should not wait because it can be life-threatening. Swelling about the face or bumps on your gums may be an indication of infection.
- Are you bleeding from the mouth? Bleeding is a potential sign of an emergency.
In general, any dental problem that needs immediate treatment to stop bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or save a tooth is considered an emergency.
Veneers cannot replace a missing tooth — they need a tooth to bond to. Here is what actually works, and how veneers fit alongside implants and bridges.
Not every dental problem is an emergency. What needs care today, what can wait, when to go to the ER instead, and how to get seen in Rancho Bernardo.