What is Considered a Dental Emergency?

There are dental issues that can wait until the clinic opens the following business morning. At other times, you need treatment as quickly as possible. Since it can be difficult to determine if you have a genuine emergency on your hands or if it is possible to hold off until the dentist can work you in, here are some examples of situations that do call for immediate care.

Trauma to the Mouth

Sudden trauma to the mouth can take many forms. Perhaps you were playing sports and sustained a hit directly to the mouth. The hit may be an elbow of another player, or a piece of equipment like a ball or bat. You could also cause a lot of damage by slipping down a set of stairs, striking the dashboard during some sort of traffic mishap, or getting involved in a fight.

Whatever the origin, something may be broken. The only way to know for sure is to call for emergency dental services , apply something cold to the mouth, and get to the dental professional as quickly as possible.

Bleeding That Won’t Stop

Your gums are bleeding and nothing seems to stop the flow. You’ve tried ice and a couple of other home remedies and nothing seems to make a difference. While you may or may not feel much pain, the fact that the bleeding will not stop is cause for alarm. The best move to make is to call for emergency dental help and get to a facility as quickly as possible.

Swelling and Other Signs of Infection

Waking up in the morning and noticing there is a lot of swelling under a tooth is nothing to take lightly. There is the possibility that the tissue under the tooth is infected, or that an abscess is developing. Since either problem can pave the way for other dental issues, you don’t want to take any chances. The best solution is to contact an emergency dentist and make arrangements for an examination as quickly as possible. The origin of the swelling may turn out to be something the dentist can treat easily. At other times, more comprehensive solutions may be needed.

Severe Tooth Pain That Nothing Calms

Many people have had toothaches that seems to come out of nowhere. You may be able to take something and calm the pain enough to get by until standard business hours. At other times, nothing you do seems to ease the discomfort. Since you have no idea what’s causing the pain, it makes sense to seek emergency dental care immediately. The dentist may find that you’ve cracked a tooth somehow and that’s the reason the pain will not go away. In that scenario, doing what can be done to seal the crack and protect the tooth with a veneer will ease the pain and reduce the risk of more damage to that tooth.

There is nothing brave or smart about putting up with tooth pain just because it occurs after the usual office hours. If the pain is severe enough to prevent you from being able to rest or carry on with your usual routine, it’s time to call one of the Richmond Hill dentists who provide emergency care. In the best-case scenario, the diagnosis will be swift, the treatment immediately effective, and you will not have to deal with any more pain.