Dental emergencies are usually unexpected and always unwelcome. The fact is that we cannot foresee a sudden toothache or accident that results in tooth damage. The realities of unexpected pain and injury are something your dentist is prepared to handle. It is important for you to learn what to do during a dental emergency so you are prepared to take the appropriate action if it ever occurs.

Dental emergencies related to pain

The first step in a pain-related dental emergency is to determine if it is an actual emergency. In order to determine if your oral pain constitutes an emergency, you need to ask yourself a few questions. First, is the pain getting in the way of essential functioning? If the pain is preventing you from being able to sleep, eat, concentrate, and function throughout your day then you may have a dental emergency. Second, will the pain respond to any type of over-the-counter treatment options? If you take over-the-counter pain killers or apply a topical pain reliever to your teeth and experience no relief then it is likely a dental emergency. Once you discover that the pain does not respond to over-the-counter treatment options the next step is to call your dentist to set up an emergency appointment. If the pain-related emergency happens during regular business hours your dentist will likely be able to work you in. If the emergency happens outside of normal business hours you will need to call the number that your dentist provides for emergencies. As an established patient, your dentist will have a protocol for treating patient emergencies to ensure that you do not have to be in pain for very long.

Dental emergencies related to injury

Dental emergencies related to injury are always unexpected and typically very painful. As with pain-related emergencies, you may need to assess whether or not your injury constitutes and emergency. Trauma to your teeth can lead to pain, chips, cracks, and even tooth loss. If you ever find yourself in a situation where your tooth is knocked out, it is an emergency. Call your dentist right away for instructions on how best to proceed. On the other hand, if your front tooth gets chipped while you are eating a carrot it may not be necessary to go immediately to the dentist’s office. As a general rule, it is a good idea to call your dentist if you have some type of blunt force trauma to your teeth. Getting hit, falling, and colliding with something or someone are all scenarios that can cause trauma to your teeth. In those types of situations, damage can occur below the surface and result in eventual tooth death. If you sustain an injury to your tooth, give your dentist a call to talk through the injury. Your dentist will then decide if you need to come in immediately or schedule a future appointment.    

At Dental Remedies, there is a procedure in place to help established patients who experience a dental emergency. Take the time to save the contact information for Dental Remedies to ensure that it is close at hand if you ever need to get emergency dental care.