What Is Considered a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency is a problem involving the teeth, gums or mouth that requires prompt assessment to relieve significant pain, treat an infection, control bleeding or help prevent further damage.
Sometimes the answer is obvious, such as when a tooth has been knocked out. Other times, you may be wondering whether a toothache, swelling or damaged filling is serious enough to call your dentist.
When in doubt, it is always reasonable to call.
At Beamsville Smiles Family Dentistry, dental emergencies are treated as a priority. If you are experiencing mouth, tooth or gum pain or have suffered dental trauma, contact our office so our team can assess your symptoms and arrange care as quickly as possible.
Here are seven situations when you should contact a dentist about urgent dental care.
1. You Have a Severe or Persistent Toothache
A toothache is one of the most common reasons patients need emergency dental care.
Occasional mild sensitivity does not necessarily mean you have an emergency. However, pain that is severe, persistent, throbbing or getting progressively worse should not be ignored.
Tooth pain can have several possible causes, including:
- Tooth decay
- A cracked or damaged tooth
- An infection inside the tooth
- An abscess
- A damaged or leaking filling
- Trauma to the tooth
- Problems involving the gums or surrounding tissues
The Ontario Dental Association recommends contacting your dentist immediately for constant or severe mouth pain.
Rather than waiting to see if significant pain disappears on its own, arrange a dental assessment. Finding the source of the problem earlier may provide more treatment options and help prevent the condition from becoming more serious.
Depending on the cause, treatment could involve a filling, crown, root canal treatment, extraction or another form of restorative care.
2. Your Face, Jaw or Gums Are Swollen
Swelling around a tooth, the gums, jaw or face can be a sign of infection and should be assessed promptly.
A dental abscess is a pocket of infection that can develop around a tooth or within the surrounding tissues. Symptoms can include:
- Tooth or gum pain
- Red or swollen gums
- Facial or jaw swelling
- Tenderness when biting
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Drainage or pus
- Fever
Dental infections generally require professional treatment rather than simply waiting for the symptoms to go away.
If you notice swelling along with dental pain, call Beamsville Smiles as soon as possible for advice and an assessment.
When Dental Swelling Becomes a Medical Emergency
There is an important exception.
If swelling in your mouth, face or neck is affecting your ability to breathe or swallow, seek emergency medical attention rather than waiting for a dental appointment. Difficulty breathing is a medical emergency.
3. You Have Chipped, Cracked or Broken a Tooth
Teeth are strong, but they can still break from an accident, sports injury, biting something unexpectedly hard or because the tooth has already been weakened.
A small chip may not always be an emergency, particularly if there is no pain. A larger fracture, significant pain, bleeding or damage exposing the inside of the tooth requires faster attention.
If you break a tooth:
- Rinse your mouth gently with water.
- Apply a cold compress outside the mouth if there is swelling.
- If you can find the broken piece, save it and bring it with you.
- Avoid chewing with the damaged tooth.
- Contact your dentist as soon as possible.
Many broken teeth can be repaired, particularly when treatment is sought promptly. Depending on the extent of the damage, treatment may involve bonding or a filling, a dental crown, root canal treatment or, in severe cases, extraction.
At Beamsville Smiles, fillings, crowns, root canals and extractions are among the restorative treatments available when a tooth has been damaged.
4. An Adult Tooth Has Been Knocked Out
A knocked-out permanent tooth is a true dental emergency where time matters.
If an adult tooth is completely knocked out:
- Find the tooth and handle it carefully.
- If necessary, gently rinse it in cool water. Do not scrub the tooth or use soap.
- If you can do so safely, gently place the permanent tooth back into its socket.
- If you cannot replace it, place it in a container of cold milk.
- Contact a dentist immediately.
According to the Ontario Dental Association, a permanent tooth that is placed back into position within approximately 10 minutes has a much better chance of successfully taking root again, while the chances become poor after an hour.
Do not attempt to put a knocked-out baby tooth back into the socket. Reimplanting a baby tooth can damage the permanent tooth developing underneath it. Contact your dentist for instructions instead.
For families in Beamsville, knowing your dentist’s phone number before an accident occurs can make a stressful situation much easier to manage.
5. A Filling or Crown Has Broken or Fallen Out
A lost filling or crown may not cause the same immediate pain as a knocked-out tooth, but it still deserves a call to your dentist.
Dental restorations protect teeth that have already been weakened or damaged. When a filling or crown falls out, the exposed tooth may become:
- Sensitive to hot or cold
- Painful when biting
- Vulnerable to additional damage
- Difficult to chew with
Avoid chewing hard or sticky foods on the affected side and contact your dentist to have the tooth assessed.
If a filling is lost, the Ontario Dental Association recommends seeing a dentist as soon as possible.
Even when the tooth is not painful, arranging treatment promptly can help protect the remaining tooth structure.
6. You Have Bleeding or an Injury to Your Mouth
An injury involving the teeth, gums, lips or tongue can happen during sports, a fall, a collision or another accident.
Minor soft-tissue injuries can often be managed initially by applying gentle pressure with clean gauze or a clean cloth. However, bleeding that is heavy or does not stop requires urgent assessment.
If bleeding from the lip or tongue does not stop with pressure, the Ontario Dental Association recommends going to the hospital.
Trauma can also damage a tooth even when it has not visibly broken. A tooth may become loose, displaced or painful after being hit.
If you have suffered a significant blow to the mouth, contact your dentist and explain what happened so they can determine how quickly the area should be examined.
For people who participate in sports, a properly fitted sport guard or mouth guard can also help reduce the risk of dental injuries. Beamsville Smiles offers sport guards and mouth guards as part of its dental services.
7. A Permanent Tooth Suddenly Feels Loose or Has Moved
An adult tooth should not suddenly become loose.
A tooth can become loose or shift position after an injury, but mobility can also be associated with problems affecting the gums or supporting structures around the tooth.
If an adult tooth suddenly feels loose, particularly after trauma, contact a dentist promptly. The Ontario Dental Association considers a loose permanent tooth a serious dental problem that should be assessed by a dentist.
Avoid repeatedly touching or moving the tooth while waiting for your appointment.
Should I Go to a Dentist or the Emergency Room?
Most toothaches, broken teeth, lost fillings and other dental problems are best assessed by a dentist because a dentist can diagnose and treat the underlying dental problem.
However, some situations require emergency medical attention.
Call 911 or seek emergency medical care if:
- You are having difficulty breathing.
- Significant mouth, facial or neck swelling is interfering with breathing or swallowing.
- You have severe or uncontrolled bleeding.
- You have experienced significant facial or head trauma that may involve injuries beyond the teeth.
Breathing difficulties associated with an oral or dental infection should be treated as a medical emergency.
For urgent dental problems that are not life-threatening, contact your dentist and describe your symptoms.
What Happens During an Emergency Dental Appointment?
The first goal of an emergency dental visit is to determine what is causing the problem and how urgently it needs to be treated.
Your dentist may examine the affected tooth and surrounding tissues and, when necessary, use dental X-rays or other diagnostic information to better understand what is happening.
Treatment will depend entirely on the diagnosis.
For example, a damaged or infected tooth might be treated with a filling, crown or root canal. If a tooth cannot be restored, an extraction may sometimes be recommended. Beamsville Smiles’ approach is to preserve natural teeth where possible and consider extraction when a tooth cannot be saved or other treatments are not appropriate.
Don’t Wait for Dental Pain to Become Unbearable
One of the most common misconceptions about dental emergencies is that you should only call when the pain becomes unbearable.
You don’t need to make that decision on your own.
If something feels wrong, call your dental office and explain your symptoms. The team can help determine how urgently you should be seen.
Regular dental examinations are also valuable because dental problems do not always cause noticeable symptoms in their early stages. The Ontario Dental Association notes that pain or swelling may not develop until a dental condition has already progressed.
Looking for an Emergency Dentist in Beamsville?
Dental pain can be stressful, especially when it appears unexpectedly.
Beamsville Smiles Family Dentistry provides emergency dental care for patients experiencing tooth, mouth or gum pain and dental trauma. Our team makes emergency patients a priority and will do our best to arrange an appointment as quickly as possible.
If you are experiencing a dental emergency in Beamsville, call Beamsville Smiles at (905) 563-6313.
Beamsville Smiles Family Dentistry is located at 4413 Ontario Street, Suite 203, Beamsville, Ontario, serving families in Beamsville and the surrounding community.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Emergencies
Is a toothache considered a dental emergency?
A mild, temporary sensitivity may not require emergency treatment, but severe, constant, worsening or throbbing tooth pain should be assessed promptly. If you aren’t sure how urgent your toothache is, contact your dentist and describe your symptoms.
Can a dentist save a knocked-out tooth?
Sometimes. A knocked-out permanent tooth has the best chance of being saved when it is handled properly and treated immediately. Contact a dentist right away. Never attempt to reinsert a knocked-out baby tooth.
Is facial swelling from a tooth an emergency?
Facial or jaw swelling associated with a tooth should be assessed promptly because it may indicate an infection. If swelling affects your breathing or swallowing, seek emergency medical care immediately.
What should I do if I break a tooth?
Rinse your mouth gently with water, use a cold compress outside the mouth if swelling develops, save any tooth fragment you can find and contact your dentist as soon as possible.
Can Beamsville Smiles see dental emergencies?
Yes. Beamsville Smiles asks patients experiencing a dental emergency to call the office immediately at (905) 563-6313, and the team will do its best to arrange care as soon as possible.
