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What Counts As A Dental Emergency?

In cases of serious dental injuries, emergency dentistry is often the only way to save a tooth. Teeth are sensitive, and damage requires immediate, professional treatment.

But how do you know if it’s an emergency? Some dental emergencies, like a loose or damaged tooth, are obvious. But others, like an ongoing toothache, can be harder to recognize.

Crossroads Family Dentistry will take you through the basics of dental emergencies, what the most common types of dental emergencies are, and what you should do if you think you need emergency dental care.

What Is A Dental Emergency?

Loosely defined, a dental emergency is any dental injury or condition that is causing you extreme pain, and that you cannot treat on your own.

This means that “dental emergency” is a very broad category. While it can include things like trauma to your teeth due to an injury or accident, it can also include swelling, running a fever, or having a bad taste or smell in your mouth. Other issues include dental crown or dental filling failure, periodontal disease, and even tooth decay.

If you have swelling around your teeth or jaws, and are having trouble breathing or swallowing that can be a life-threatening emergency. Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

What Are The Most Common Dental Emergencies?

The most common dental emergencies are caused by impact injuries, whether from accidents, falls, or contact sports. These include:

  • Avulsed (knocked out from trauma) teeth
  • Intrusion (teeth that are driven deeply into their sockets)
  • Cracked teeth
  • Chipped teeth
  • Loose teeth
  • Oral tissue injuries (damaged cheek, gum tissue)
  • Fractured root

Each of these conditions requires immediate oral care. Ideally, you should try to get treatment within 12 hours. This will ensure that your tooth has the largest possible chance of being saved, and that you can quickly deal with the pain of a dental emergency.

Other dental emergencies can include:

  • Loss of a crown or filling accompanied by constant pain
  • Serious tooth infection (causing toothache)
  • Advanced periodontal disease (gum disease) causing loose teeth, bleeding gums, swelling and infection
  • A toothache that manifests itself as an earache. If your primary care physician has determined your pain is not related to the ear, give us a call. We may be able to help.

Simply put, any situation where you’re experiencing severe pain in your teeth is a dental emergency. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so if you think that you’re experiencing any of these above dental emergencies, contact Crossroads Family Dentistry immediately.

What Should I Do If I Have A Dental Emergency?

Your priority should be seeing your dentist for emergency dental care. To treat issues like broken, cracked, missing, or loose teeth, you should call Crossroads Family Dentistry and schedule a same day appointment that’s within 12 hours of your injury.

After you’ve scheduled the appointment, take steps to mitigate pain. Pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be taken to help address pain. Aspirin should be avoided, as it’s a blood thinner and can increase oral bleeding.

Ice can also be applied externally to the mouth in order to reduce swelling, and provide topical pain relief. You can also mitigate bleeding by using clean bandages, gauze or cotton balls. If bleeding from an oral injury does not stop or slow down within a reasonable amount of time, you may want to consider visiting an urgent care facility or an emergency room.

Finally, visit Crossroads Family Dentistry for a long-term solution. Dr. Dais, Dr. Faulconer, and Dr. Underwood are experienced with all kinds of dental emergencies. They can minimize your pain, and help you get your life back to normal quickly.

Contact Crossroads Family Dentistry For Same Day Appointments In Oklahoma City!

When you have a serious oral injury, you need fast, reliable care. You can trust Crossroads Family Dentistry to deliver the care you need to minimize your pain and suffering, and help you get your life back to normal after a serious dental injury.

Don’t wait. Schedule a same-day appointment now at (405) 631-0322, or visit our office at 8101 S Walker, STE D, Oklahoma City, OK 73139!

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